NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Indonesia is laying the groundwork for the procurement of six additional T-50i Golden Eagle advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft to meet its lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) program requirements. The aircraft, produced by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), provide Indonesian Air Force cadets with an intermediate platform to transition from basic trainers to fighters.
Indonesia previously ordered 16 T-50i aircraft in May 2011 at a cost of $400 million to replace its fleet of Hawk Mk 53s in the advanced training role. Deliveries of the T-50s to Indonesia ran from September 2013 through February 2014, though one trainer crashed on December 20, 2015, reducing the total to 15 in the fleet. These 15 units were equipped with guns and radars under a follow-on agreement inked in 2018.
Although KAI announced on July 20 that it had clinched the KRW274.5 billion ($238 million) contract for the six aircraft, the actual agreement only becomes activated on an initial payment is put down. That payment is expected later this year and will be drawn from Indonesia's 2022 defense budget.
In the meantime, the Indonesian MoD is looking for a foreign lender to provide funding to meet the remaining balance payment.
The negotiated agreement period stretches from December 2021 into October 2024. Once all six units are delivered the Indonesian Air Force will field a total of 21 T-50i aircraft.
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