The Polish Air Force has already completed its fleet of new FA-50GF Golden Eagle fighters

@DefAviation ES 1·03·2024 · 20:55 0

The Polish Air Force continues with the renewal process initiated during the last term by the government of Mateusz Morawiecki.

The Polish Air Force receives and evaluates its first FA-50 fighters, the replacement for the MiG-29
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In June 2022, Poland confirmed the purchase of 48 KAI FA-50 Golden Eagle light fighters, manufactured in South Korea and whose purpose is to replace the already obsolete Soviet MiG-29 fighters that They are still in service in the Polish Air Force, after the delivery of a part of these aircraft to Ukraine. At the end In November, the arrival in Warsaw of copies 11 and 12 of the FA-50GF was confirmed, completing the 12 fighters of this variant ordered by Poland. On December 30, the General Command of the Polish Armed Forces published the first video showing these 12 aircraft together:

These first 12 aircraft have consecutive numbers ranging from 5001 to 5012. The FA-50GF arrive disassembled from South Korea and are assembled at the 23rd Tactical Air Base, near Mińsk Mazowiecki, where the 1st Tactical Air Squadron, currently equipped with MiG-29. The FA-50GF is the Polish variant of the FA-50 Block 10, with Link 16 datalink and the ability to carry AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR target designators. In August, Poland announced the purchase of 34 designators of this type from Lockheed Martin, for an amount of 105 million dollars. They will be delivered in 2025.

The second phase of this program will include the delivery of 36 FA-50PL fighters between November 2025 and September 2028. The FA-50PL will be the Polish version of the FA-50 Block 20, capable of carrying a greater variety of weapons and equipped with an APG-83 AESA radar. The plan is to modernize the 12 FA-50FG to the FA-50PL version in the near future.

Despite being a light fighter, the FA-50 has very advanced avionics. It is armed with a 20 mm cannon and can fire AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles and various types of weapons. It is powered by a 17,700 lb (79 kN) turbofan engine with afterburning. Its maximum speed is Mach 1.5 (1852 km/h), with a range of 1,800 km.

The Polish military newspaper Polska Zbrojna has noted that each Polish FA-50 pilot has received specialized training, both in South Korea and Poland: "The first Polish pilot to make a solo flight in The FA-50 was Major Jacek Stolarek of the 23rd BLT. The historic event took place on November 17." The FA-50 made its first flight in 2002 and entered service in 2005. Poland is the first European operator of this fighter, which is also used by the air forces of South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia , Iraq, Malaysia and Thailand.

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Photos: Dowództwo Generalne Rodzajów Sił Zbrojnych / Polska Zbrojna / Airshow Radom 2023.