KAI T-50 Golden Eagle

KAI T-50 Golden Eagle

The T-50 Golden Eagle is a family of South Korean supersonic advanced trainers and multirole light fighters, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries beginning in the late 1990s. The T-50 is South Korea's first indigenous supersonic aircraft and one of the world's few supersonic trainers. It took its maiden flight in 2002 and entered active service with the Republic of Korea Air Force in 2005.

The T-50 advanced trainer had been further developed into aerobatic and combat variants, namely T-50B, TA-50, and FA-50. Ten T-50B serve with the South Korean air force's aerobatics team. In 2011, the first squadron of TA-50, T-50's light attack variant, had become operational. The maiden flight of FA-50, T-50's multirole fighter variant with comparable capabilities to KF-16, had also taken place in 2011. First FA-50 production for 60 aircraft will commence in 2013 until 2016.

As of 2012, 16 TA-50 light attack variants of the family has been ordered by Indonesia. Additional export orders are being pursued in countries such as Iraq, Poland, Philippines and Spain. T-50 is also being marketed as a candidate for the T-X program of the United States as the United States Air Force's next-generation advanced trainer. The T-50 is the proposed base for the F-50 next-generation indigenous fighter.