Regardless of whether Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) wins the U.S. Air Force's T-X trainer contract in partnership with Lockheed Martin, the South Korean company looks assured of offering a considerably improved T-50 aircraft. And the South Korean industry ministry is paying for much of the upgrade work. Plight testing of the T-X version of the T-50 is due to begin in 2016 following its unveiling by KAI on Dec. 17. The upgraded aircraft features cockpit changes, inflight refueling and an embedded training system (ETS). While rival partnerships-Northrop Grumman/BAE and Boeing/Saab-are developing all-new aircraft for T-X, KAI's proposal, which Lockheed Martin has been supporting, would aim at meeting the requirement with minimal alteration to a current-production supersonic aircraft.
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