This April 17, 2025, file photo, provided by the Air Force, shows an FA-50 fighter landing at an air base in the southwestern city of Gwangju. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean defense firm Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) has signed a deal with the Philippine defense ministry to export 12 FA-50 light attack fighters, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday.
The US$700 million deal signed on Tuesday marks the second round of FA-50 exports to Manila, following an initial supply of 12 jets in 2014, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
South Korea and Manila have been in talks over the FA-50 deal, with DAPA Minister Seok Jong-gun and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro discussing arms industry cooperation during their meeting in Manila in March.
The Philippines has introduced various South Korean-made weapons systems over the years, including FA-50 light attack aircraft, frigates and corvettes, emerging as Seoul’s biggest arms trade partner in Southeast Asia.
The FA-50 has been exported to six countries, including Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Poland and Thailand, so far.
(Yonhap)
