Black Eagles Returning To LIMA

ROKAF Black Eagles T-50s with their display at Lima 2017. Malaysian Defence

SHAH ALAM: South Korean Air Force Black Eagles aerobatic team is scheduled to take part in the upcoming LIMA 2023 air show this May, Yonhap News Agency reported on March 29. This will be the second time the team is participating in the air show. It took part for the first time in LIMA 2017.

ROKAF Black Eagles in formation at LIMA 2017. Malaysian Defence

From Yonhap.

SEOUL, March 29 (Yonhap) — The South Korean Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team plans to participate in a biennial air show in Malaysia in May, the armed service said Wednesday.

The team will join the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) slated to take place at the Langkawi International Airport from May 23 to 27. It would mark its second participation there after its first in 2017.

For this year’s event, the Air Force will send nine T-50B supersonic jets and three C-130 transport aircraft. They are set to depart from an air base in Wonju, 87 kilometers east of Seoul, on May 17.

Officials from Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI) and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration will also be present at the show to promote South Korean defense products, the Air Force said.

Last month, KAI, South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer, won a 1.2 trillion-won (US$924 million) deal from Malaysia to export 18 FA-50 light attack aircraft.

— Malaysian Defence

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13 Comments

  1. 2003
    USD 900 million = 18 SU-30MKM

    2023
    USD 924 million = 18 FA-50

    The Philippines, when buying Korean-made military equipments are given free transfer of Korean Excess Defence Articles such as Navy Corvettes and Army MLRS. Is anything similar will be offered to Malaysia with the big contract for the FA-50? Extra used KIFV perhaps?

  2. What’s exactly that we can get from korea that is FOC and is actually worth our time?

    Afaik all the good pohang class ships already being snapped up leaving the older, clapped out ones. Also the korean have this tradition of using stuff to the ground, as shown on their F-4, F-5 and even 90mm M48 medium tank. Hell they still use M2 carbine and only released their M1 garand to civilian (read: american) market in early 2010s when M14 and M16 become the new bottom of the barrel rifle for wartime conscripts. In term of hoarding military equipment korea mustve rank up there with Turkey

  3. 2003 to 2023 = 20 years difference. I don’t remember USD1 in 2023 having the same buying power as USD1 in 2003. Or RM1 in 2003 having the same buying power in 2023…

  4. Unsurprising, after all we just gave them a big order and potentially could lead to future buys of KFX, if & when it happens. I’m more surprise they didn’t send Big Bang to do a concert for LIMA!

  5. Comparisons between things bought between 2 decade ago is silly and misleading. There are various things at play including inflation and things like training and spares. Not to mention that the MKM deal included quite a bit to Thales for systems integration; as well as various Western kit. This is unlike the case with the F/A-50.

    As for comparisons with us and the Philippines; we did not state a desire for the transfer of surplus kit; the Philippines did. Also, not all surplus South Korean kit might be ideal from a commonality and maintenance perspective. 30 off year old high mileage and maintenance intensive corvettes? The RMN would object.

  6. Theoretically around half the price of the FA50 is likely the cost to intergrated the ratheyon phantom strike & amraam into the FA50 not to dissimilar to the Thales Intergration work to the MKM 20 years ago.

    As for inflation, it depends. The flankers was cheap 2 decades ago as they just going out of communism & eager to join the international community but it’s no longer cheap nor politically correct now. But the f35 seems are still selling around the price of the classic hornet from 2 decades ago.

    Supposedly the phantom strike is a smaller version of the radar inside the CF18 & Cf18 would use the same Sniper targeting pod as Fa50 and would be in operations till 2040s. So if we do get the Kuwaiti hornet it would have a lot of commonality which could safe cost but it does raise a question as it so similar and the biggest difference is the amount of effector it can carry & flying range whether additional classic hornet is a cost effective solution compared to well more fa50.

  7. @dundun
    “What’s exactly that we can get from korea that is FOC”
    We could ask for Raybolt to be packaged in the deal to fulfill our ATGM replacement requirements.
    https://www.malaysiandefence.com/tender-for-anti-tank-guided-weapon-medium-range/

    @Zaft
    “cost to intergrated the ratheyon phantom strike & amraam”
    If the Polish are getting Block20 first then integration cost should not be borne by us.

    “The flankers was cheap 2 decades ago”
    2 decades ago, the Rouble was dirt cheap, of course today its worse than dirt but the point is moot as were not getting more Russkies. In comparison, Won was much lower then as it is now, and KAI still have to pay royalties to LM per plane.

  8. Zaft – ”The flankers was cheap 2 decades ago as they just going out of communism & eager to join the international community but it’s no longer cheap nor politically correct now. ”

    What on earth are you on about? You serious? The MKMs were cheap because the Russians were able to offer them at such prices due to a range of factors and not because ”they just going out of communism & eager to join the international community”… The Soviet Union became defunct in 1991 and we bought the MKMs more than a decade later and what does Russia supposedly wanting to join the international community have to do with the price of beans?

  9. @ Melayu ketinggalan,

    Why on earth do i need to do research?

    Yes I know for a fact that both deal uses palm oil barter, so what is your point in asking me to do more research? Why do you assume that I did not know?

    Yes many commented about inflation and exchange rates, but did I exactly mention anything about the deal should be the same or we should get better deal? Nope.

    So what is the deal with all the negative assumptions on what i meant?

    Just wanted to show the costs now and then.

  10. … – ”Just wanted to show the costs now and then.”

    Since we’re on prices which some have a penchant for. Figures taken from ADJ, AD@D and NST.

    US$39.2 million for 14 F-5Es and 2 F-5Bs first delivered in 1975.

    US$8.2 million for a pair of RF-5Es first delivered in 1984.

    US$550 million 16 MiG-29s and 2 MiG-29NUBs first delivered in 1995.

    In the mid 1960’s the first batch of Nuris we ordered went for US$1 million each.

    Figures really do not provide a full picture as it depends on the training/spares package which can but necessarily not be included in the total contract value. The Flanker deal included a figure for Thales to act as systems integrator.

    … – ”but did I exactly mention anything about the deal should be the same or we should get better deal?”

    Maybe not but the way you presented it without any relevant commentary certainly gave that impression.

  11. “2003 USD 900 million = 18 SU-30MKM”
    Cost normalised for inflation, this value is USD $1.43 Billion in 2023. People here throwing figures around tend to forget that.

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