The Chase is On, FA-50M MRO

The 12 FA-50 of the Polish Air Force. Poland got their FA-50s early as they took over the aircraft originally destined for the South Korean Air Force. Polish Air Force picture.

SHAH ALAM: The government, it appears, has yet to decide which local company will partner Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) in providing the MRO services for RMAF upcoming FA-50M FLIT/LCA fleet. This looked likely to me when Defence Minister DS Khaled Nordin visited the KAI plant in South Korea last week and posted about it on social media.


Intrigued by it, I contacted industry sources to ask about whether this was true. They confirmed the race to become the local MRO partner with KAI was on-going. One may think that KAI – as the OEM – will have a big say on this, it has but the Malaysian government will also have a huge say on this.

Furthermore, as Khaled also signed an MOU with the South Korean government for a government-to-government deal for defence products and services between the two countries, meant that the MRO deal – which has not been confirmed publicly – will also come under it. Of course, the next government might think otherwise.

Khaled did not say anything about the MRO facility even though it is the biggest component for the industrial collaboration programme, triggered by the procurement contract with KAI for 18 FA-50Ms for around RM4 billion. And KAI is obligated to match the same amount for the ICP.

Khaled (centre) at the signing of the simulator ICP deal. DS Khaled Nordin.

Of course, he also did not say much about the simulator deal between KAI and Ikramatic Sdn Bhd but since he witnessed the signing of the agreement, I am guessing that the deal is good to go. Again, I must point out that Khaled’s predecessor had spoken about setting up of a regional MRO facility for the FA-50 as there were three other users of the jets in the region. By making this statement, it looked like as if the local MRO company has already been selected.
Khaled inside a FA-50 cockpit when he visited the KAI factory yesterday.

It is also important to note that since the first batch of aircraft will only be arriving in 2026, any MRO work will only be done from 2030, at the earliest. So, there is a reason to kick the can on the MRO deal as long as possible or until they find the right local company to do it. The simulator deal needs to be signed now as the first batch of aircraft is due in 2026.
PUTD MD530G M83-8 flies over the Kem Sirajuddin range during LKT 2024 as airliner flies overhead. BTDM

For example, the government has yet to tender out the MRO deal for the MD530G light scout attack helicopters even though it has been in service since 2022. The only maintenance contract to be tendered out for now is the maintenance and support of the armament system.
RMAF PC-7 Mk II M50-07 after running off the runway at the Alor Setar airport on January 11, 2019. The sole trainee pilot escaped unhurt. She is one of two PC-7 undergoing thePC-7 Mk II Structural Reworks (TSSR) programme at the Kolej Tentera Udara located adjacent to the Alor Setar airport. RMAF picture.

Furthermore, with RMAF preference of doing the full spectrum of support for its aircraft nowadays (unless over-ruled by defence and finance ministries), it is unlikely an MRO facility is needed before 2030. It must also be noted that RMAF is doing the upgrade of its Pilatus PC-7 Mk II fleet on its own with support of the OEM, Pilatus Aircraft Limited of Switzerland. Two aircraft has undergone the work which RMAF called PC-7 Mk II Structural Reworks (TSSR). Work on one aircraft was done in Switzerland while the second one was done at the Kolej Tentera Udara in Alor Setar.

— Malaysian Defence

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21 Comments

  1. Its likely a “it depends” scenario. If this Govt is not stable enough it will need every RM to bolster its standings with the rakyat. So defence contracts which arent necessary will be deferred for more social programs. If this Govt thinks its stable tho, it will worm a deal for its “preferred” contractor.

  2. AFAIK there is no local assembly otherwise they would have announced it already. IMO it does not make sense to local assemble 18 aircraft.

  3. Bad news on poland FA-50.
    They already grounded their initial FA-50 for months and cinsidered on cancelling it due to integration issue.

    MY bought the sane variant as poland the FA50 block 20. Something to be watched carefully.

    Koreans is not as good as we think. ID also has problem with their chang bogo (korean’s uograde variant of TKMS 209/1300), even though their already built several subs for their navy.

  4. Those are ex RoKAF FA-50 (designated gap filler)

    Also there’s talk about both France and Germany pressuring Poland to spend more money on euro bloc military equipment

  5. >integration issue

    integration issue with what? What exactly do they want to carry on their FA-50 that they cannot do so on F-16?

  6. Also there’s talk about both France and Germany pressuring Poland to spend more money on euro bloc military equipment (Alex)
    The 2 giants (France and Germany) aren’t going to make it easy for Poland to buy outside EU.
    Take Turkey for example, they look a lucrative order to due Greek intransigence and insistence of buying EU products so Turkey lost out.
    The South Koreans aren’t dumb and knows the Europeans aren’t pleased. So what are Bros French and Germanic hoping out of this game?
    That Poles buy ex- German Alpha jets instead? Or perhaps buy more Italian M346s that they hated?

  7. @Romeo

    I think the problem is getting American approval to intergrade missiles and radar on FA50. Thats why the Korean starting to developed their on missiles

  8. The current FA50 in Poland inventories are the same block 10 which is used by almost all of our immediate neighbors.

  9. @taib

    The current euro centric polish gov headed by the former president of the European Council Isn’t the same as the previous euro sceptic gov that purchase the FA50 & other Korean weapons.

  10. >FA-50 block 10
    >almost all of our immediate neighbours
    The only actual FA-50 user is the Pinoys

    Thailand is looking to upgrade its T-50TH fleet into FA-50 block 5 standard

  11. Can anyone explain what role an LCA like the FA-50 Block 20 plays? How does it work alongside larger fighters?

    What exactly is meant by ‘light combat’. Apologies if it’s obvious. New to reading about all of this.

  12. They’ll be replacing Mig-29 and Hawk 208 in CAP, regular air patrol, escort, interception, point air defence, light attack (basically dropping mk80 bombs and agm65) while sparing the Hornets and Flankers for more demanding tasks

  13. The current euro centric Polish gov headed by the former president of the European Council Isn’t the same as the previous euro sceptic gov that purchase the FA50 & other Korean weapons.(Zaft)
    That’s what I thought. The Europeans (by this, I mean the Greeks) don’t even want Turkey to supply weapons to their member states because it’s just a NATO member, not an EU state. Discrimination ? Yes. Crazy talk but I just batting my breathe that the S. Koreans are going to get their Polish orders slashed.
    BTW, it’s crazy talk too when reports surfaced claiming problems with the Polish F50 GF. It’s a GF model, not exactly one of their 36 FA50 Block 20s.
    OTHO, the S. Koreans are saying the Europeans can’t be trusted to fulfil any defence contracts on time and, within acceptable cost limits. To Koreans, EU makes impossibly expensive defence equipment. Hence why they are making copies of (say), Korean Taurus cruise missiles.

  14. @Amir
    From title it tells you it wont be a mainstay frontline fighter jet. Its not for combat against higher performing planes, its not for deep penetration missions, its not for fighting in heavily contested skies unless with heavier fighter support, it wont go up against 5th gen planes. So anything other than these it can perform in skies where it side has air superiority.

    As for Poland, its understandable EU would want each member nation to pull their weight in driving up the EU warmachine as Ukraine war grinds to 3rd year and future Pres Trump might pull back US NATO support in the fight as he did before. EU cannot afford Russia to gain advantage on the battlefield or they will be next once Ukraine is conquered.

  15. Taib “BTW, it’s crazy talk too when reports surfaced claiming problems with the Polish F50 GF. It’s a GF model, not exactly one of their 36 FA50 Block 20s”

    From the news, it seem to be a bureaucratic problem as KAI hasn’t send the documentations they need while at the same time certain facilities to support the jet operation hasn’t been built. Recently if not mistaken KAI had sign a JV with a local partner for MRO facilities and the new gov menhan had said that the contract would continue.

    Politically, poland get rich after entering the European common market at the cost of the wealthier members. So by right the wealthier members do want ‘a return on their investment’

    Korean too would be wise not to stand out too much as their approach of having the Korean taxpayers absorb the weapons R&D cost, subsidies the steel industry is something that the EU commission would describe as unfair trade practices.

    As for the Greek. Well they are and had always been kinda a d**k. Not just to turkeye, but to Macedonia nor to Germany as well.

  16. It must also be noted that the Poles got their aircraft – the first 12 within one year of the contract signing. Even the simulator – which we also bought – will only be delivered next year.

    Please go here to read in more details on the issue. And there is nothing about how Poland being bullied by others, it is all internal politics.

  17. There’s no integration issues with the fa50. The Polish grounded their fa50 for 3 months due to some missing paperwork and certification for the ejector seats which was clarified. And they are waiting for the flight simulators that are scheduled to be delivered by 2025.

  18. on the TSSR

    Actually 2 airframes are sent to Switzerland for airframe change

    the first to be sent there is M50-02 in 2022 (pictured there in Nov 2022)

    M50-01 was sent there for airframe change in 2023 (seen there in Oct 2023). Seems that the airframe change is done together with Oman Air Force PC-9 (seen at the same time in Pilatus facility in Switzerland)

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