Rocking African Markets, South Korea Offers FA-50 Fighter Jet to Egypt

After successfully penetrating the heavy weapons export market to Egypt, South Korea seems to be getting serious about targeting market share in Africa and the Middle East. 

If previously Hanwha Defense had won a contract for the procurement of the K9 Self Propelled Howitzer artillery equipment worth 2 trillion won (approximately US$1.65 billion), now it is Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)'s turn to try to make a fortune in the pyramid country.

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Quoted from aviacionline.com (8/8/2022), South Korea is not half-hearted when it comes to the offer of selling defense equipment to Egypt. This is evidenced by the dispatch of the Black Eagles aerobatic team from the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) which carried out the first aerobatic demonstration at the recent Pyramid Air Show 2022.

The participation of the T-50B Black Eagles certainly had a purpose, as it marked the importance of the Egyptian market for South Korea. In the Pyramid Air Show 2022, KAI has conducted a series of lobbying for Egyptian defense stakeholders. In addition to performing aerial demonstrations, the Black Eagle aerobatic team also performed monumental maneuvers over the Giza pyramids.

KAI targets the sale of lucrative (advanced) combat trainers to the Egyptian Air Force. This is based on the needs of the Egyptian Air Force which will seek new attack-capable fighter jets in 2023. The fighter jet project for the Egyptian Air Force is quite large, reaching 100 aircraft, a market opportunity that is certainly attractive to Seoul.

There is a need for 100 fighter jets, certainly attracting other manufacturers, in this segment South Korea will have to deal with tough competitors, such as the AVIC L-15 from China and the Leonardo M346 from Italy. 

However, KAI argues that the FA-50 has high compatibility with the Egyptian Air Force's main fighter aircraft, the F-16 (with more than 160 Fighting Falcons in current service). KAI claims that the FA-50 has the same basic logistical needs as the F-16, and will speed up the transition process for the F-16 fighter jet pilot.

As in the strategy when South Korea conquered the Polish market, there will be offset offers and technology transfers which are the main pillars in negotiations between Egypt and Korea. In this regard, Lee Bong-geun, General Manager of the KAI Export Innovation Center, said: “KAI will promote joint production and joint marketing in Egypt.”

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Egypt is pursuing an extensive program to modernize its Armed Forces, including the renewal of the Egyptian Air Force's combat assets.

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