KAI FA-50 Fighting Eagle

What is the KAI FA-50 Fighting Eagle?

The FA-50 Fighting Eagle is a two-seat light combat aircraft made by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in South Korea. It is the fighter version of the T-50 Golden Eagle trainer, which KAI developed with Lockheed Martin and first flew on August 20, 2002.

The FA-50 adds a radar, a 20 mm cannon, a longer nose and more internal fuel. A prototype converted from a T-50 first flew in 2011.

The aircraft is a trainer that can also fight, which is why air forces on tight budgets buy it. The full specification table for the aircraft is on this page, so this article explains the numbers instead of repeating them.

Is the FA-50 supersonic?

Yes. The FA-50 has a top speed of Mach 1.5, which KAI quotes at about 30,000 feet (9,150 m). The panel stores that as the speed in knots.

The speed comes from a single General Electric F404-GE-102 afterburning turbofan, built under license in South Korea by Samsung Techwin. The engine uses a FADEC digital control system developed jointly by General Electric and KAI.

The thrust figure in the panel is the engine’s full afterburner rating. Without the afterburner the engine makes far less thrust, which is why the jet burns fuel quickly at full speed.

FA-50 engine: F404, F414 or EJ200?

Every flying FA-50 uses the F404. Older reference pages list the more powerful General Electric F414 and Eurojet EJ200 beside it, but those were engines proposed for the T-50 family and never became the standard FA-50 powerplant.

That is a common error, and it is why some sites quote a thrust figure far higher than the real one.

Explaining the numbers

The full specification table is on this page. A few figures need context because they are quoted against each other.

The panel’s range figure is not a combat radius. The published combat range is much shorter, about 276 mi (444 km), because a jet carrying weapons burns fuel faster and must keep a reserve to return home.

Internal fuel sits in seven tanks, five in the fuselage and two in the wings. Three external tanks can be added, which is how the aircraft stretches its reach.

The maximum takeoff weight and payload figures describe the FA-50 Block 10. Later blocks add conformal tanks and heavier avionics, so a Block 70 jet carries its load differently.

How the FA-50 is armed

The FA-50 has one internal M197 three-barrel 20 mm cannon with 205 rounds. It has seven hardpoints, four under the wings, two on the wingtips and one under the fuselage.

Wingtip rails carry AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. The jet can also use AGM-65 Maverick missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-38 JDAM guided bombs, Korean KGGB glide bombs and the Sniper targeting pod.

The AIM-9X and the radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAM arrive with the Block 70 standard.

FA-50 variants: Block 10, 20 and 70

The FA-50 has been upgraded in stages, and the block number tells you what the jet can do.

• Block 10 and 50: the baseline fighter with the Israeli EL/M-2032 radar. Block 50 adds a Link 16 data link, a radar warning receiver, countermeasures and compatibility with laser-guided bombs.
• Block 20 and 60: adds a telescopic air-to-air refueling probe and conformal fuel tanks for more endurance.
• Block 70: adds an AESA radar, a helmet-mounted display, and AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles for beyond-visual-range combat.

Country names add confusion. Poland’s FA-50GF is a Block 50 jet and its FA-50PL is a Block 70 jet. The Philippines flies the FA-50PH, and Malaysia’s version is the FA-50M.

FA-50 price

The panel lists the unit cost as $30 million (2012). That is a flyaway figure for early production, and what a buyer pays today depends on the block and the support package.

Malaysia signed a $920 million contract in May 2023 for 18 FA-50s, a figure that includes more than the aircraft themselves.

Who flies the FA-50?

South Korea’s air force was the first user. It deployed the FA-50 officially in 2014 and ordered 60 of them, alongside its T-50 and TA-50 jets.

The Philippines ordered 12 FA-50PH jets in 2014 and took delivery between 2015 and 2017. It fought with them almost at once, flying night strikes in Mindanao in January 2017 and air support during the Marawi siege that year.

Iraq took delivery of 24 T-50IQ light fighters by 2019, though none flew until a maintenance and training contract was agreed with KAI.

Poland signed for 48 jets in July 2022, 12 FA-50GF and 36 FA-50PL, to replace its Soviet-era MiG-29 and Su-22 fleets quickly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Malaysia ordered 18 in 2023.

Thailand, Indonesia and others fly the T-50 trainer family rather than the full FA-50. KAI pitched the FA-50 to Egypt at EDEX in December 2025.

FA-50 vs F-16

The FA-50 looks like the F-16 and is about 80 percent of its size, but it is a lighter, cheaper jet with a smaller radar and less payload. It cannot match a full-size fighter in a long air war.

Its pitch is cost. It is cheaper to buy and to run than an F-16, and the same jet can train pilots, which is why it competes with trainers such as the Leonardo M-346 rather than with front-line fighters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the FA-50 supersonic?

Yes. It reaches Mach 1.5 using one afterburning General Electric F404 engine.

How fast does the FA-50 go?

The FA-50’s top speed is Mach 1.5, 993 kt (1,143 mph, 1,839 km/h) at 30,000 feet. The spec panel above lists the figure in knots.

What engine does the FA-50 use?

It uses one General Electric F404-GE-102 turbofan, built under license by Samsung Techwin. The F414 and Eurojet EJ200 were proposed for the T-50 family but are not the standard engine.

Which country makes the FA-50?

South Korea. Korea Aerospace Industries builds it, with Lockheed Martin as a partner on the T-50 family it comes from.

How much does an FA-50 cost?

The panel lists $30 million (2012) as the unit cost. Contract prices vary by block, weapons and support, and Malaysia’s 18-jet deal was worth $920 million.

What is the difference between the FA-50 Block 20 and Block 70?

Block 20 adds an air-refueling probe and conformal fuel tanks. Block 70 adds an AESA radar, a helmet-mounted display and AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles.

Has the FA-50 been used in combat?

Yes. The Philippine Air Force flew FA-50PH jets against militants in Mindanao in 2017, including during the battle of Marawi. A Philippine FA-50 crashed in March 2025 in the mountains of Bukidnon, and the air force said investigators found no technical or mechanical cause.

Is the FA-50 the same as the T-50?

No. The T-50 Golden Eagle is the trainer. The FA-50 is the armed fighter version, with a radar, a gun and more fuel.