The new aircraft, which operates at the 23rd Tactical Air Base, will be reinforced in the medium term with another 36 units of the FA-50PL variant.
This first batch of light fighters produced by the South Korean company KAI was FA-50GF (or Gap Filler), an aircraft similar to the Block 10 version that equips the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). The acquisition and incorporation of these first dozen FA50s sought to satisfy the initial requirements for the induction of a new weapons system into the Polish Air Force. This includes training new pilots and training and familiarizing ground crews and mechanics.
The Polish Air Force will receive 50 aircraft in total, and the remaining 36 FA-50s will be delivered between 2025 and 2028. These Light fighters received the official designation FA-50PL as they incorporate all sensor and weapons integration systems required by Poland.
The KAI FA-50PL is equivalent to the Block 20 variant of the FA-50, notable for the incorporation of Raytheon Technologies' PhantomStrike AESA radar, the Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced target designation pod, Data Link 16 system, integration of AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
