South Korean FA-50 to Bid in Peru’s Fighter Purchase Program

South Korea is seeking to bid in Peru’s Fighter purchase program worth US$1 billion with its FA-50 light attack aircraft.

"We've been pushing to sell 24 units of the FA-50 to Peru, and are planning to submit a proposal for Lima's fighter purchase project this month," a source Tuesday told Yonhap News Agency.

"Factoring in the necessary logistics support, the total amount of the envisioned exports would reach $2 billion", he added.

South Korea is likely to vie with Russia, Italy and China, with the selection expected to be made in the second half of this year, the source added.

As a light attack variant of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer, the FA-50 was co-developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin.

It is the most advanced variant of the T-50 family operated by the South Korean Air Force.

Equipped with a supersonic advanced light attack platform, the aircraft can carry a weapons load of up to 4.5 tons and be armed with such precision-guided weapons as the GBU-38/B Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and CBU-105 Sensor Fused Weapon (SFW).

"We could be a favorable bidder, as KAI won a $200 million deal for 20 KT-1 basic trainer aircraft from Peru in November 2012," said an officer of the country's arms procurement agency.