Korea’s nascent aerospace/defense industry took a hit today as the UAE had decided to buy 48 Alenia Aermacchi M-346 trainers from Italy in a deal worth $1.3 billion.
Don’t know at this time what factors played a role in the UAE selecting the M-346 vs. the T-50, so updates to follow. Apparently there were a lot of “soft” issues at play here. There are reports that Alenia Aermacchi will help the UAE set-up final assembly plants for the jets.
UPDATE: According to The Seoul Times:
Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi was reported to have pledged a substantial support package to help the UAE build up its nascent aerospace industry, which KAI just could not match, according to Yonhap News.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
They should have employed 송일국 for lobbying the T-50s.
I look forward to learning the details of how America screwed Korea on this deal.
The T-50 is probably a tough sell against the M-346 if reliability is a primary concern because the former is a single engine while the latter is a twin engine.
Oh, well. It’s not as if other Korean companies aren’t getting the big contracts.
Most I’ve what I’ve read in the English language press over the past few months – often in the form of “special reports” – seemed to suggest the UAE’s selection of the T-50 was a foregone conclusion, or at least a very likely outcome. Oops.
If this was also the case with the mainstream Korean media, there will almost definitely be a feeling among many Koreans that they somehow got screwed over. And, as Brendon suggested, there will probably be those out there who, as illogical as it may be, will find a way of blaming the United States or Japan – the usual suspects – for having manipulated this outcome.
Has the new combat version of the T-50 been officially chosen to replace the ROK Air Force’s remaining F-5s and F-4s? Again, “special reports” in the Korea Times and Korea Herald would seem to suggest this, but at this point is it fact or only speculation?
# 3,
That’s a good point. Although the GE F404 turbofan has an excellent service record jet trainers like to have two engines just in case one engine flames out.
Did a quick check. Apparently, an M-346 costs less than 15 million dollars.
# 2 and #4,
Well, I don’t know if you can blame the U.S. Engines by GE, parts of the airframe from Lockheed and every T-50 means $$$ going to GE and Lockheed that’s worth at least what? 4 or 5 U.S. Congressmen..?
“there will probably be those out there who, as illogical as it may be, will find a way of blaming the United States..”
It would certainly be illogical because the T-50 is a joint project between a Korean and American company.
I betcha they canceled because Korea’s buying its missile defense system from Israel. Arabs do not want their dollars going to the Jooz.
I suspect UAE knows something about the AT-2000/Eurotrainer situation. The EADS Mako/HEAT may be facing additional delays and European countries looking for more mature and inexpensive trainer will seriously consider the M-346. I seriously doubt UAE would’ve bought the aircraft if they thought it’d be obsolete & orphaned product in the next decade.
UAE is developing an air force? I smell evil villain mastermind in Dubai.
An aerospace industry is just what the UAE needs to re-employ all those foreign workers made redundant by the recession.
Yeah but aerospace industries don’t just sprout up overnight. Heck, it’s easier to make cars or trains or ships. I think the UAE’s dream of having their own aero industry is a little nuts.
Just what every small country needs: an aerospace industry. David Ricardo who?
I was being facetious, Wangkon.
#13, Nah UAE don’t need to make cars when free ones are given by the dozen everyday in front of their airports.
Geeze the way Koreans always go on, joint ventures are always 100% Korean.
The best choice was obviously made.
# 17,
Eh… Aermacchi’s trainer is essentially a modified Russian plane, the Yak-130.
Aermacchi didn’t give Yakovlev a whole lot of credit either.
#18,
Not exactly.
“In 1993, Aermacchi signed an agreement to partner with Yakovlev on the new trainer the firm was developing for the Russian Air Force. The resulting aircraft first flew in 1996 and was brought to Italy the following year to substitute the aging MB-339.
At the time, the aircraft was marketed as the Yak/AEM-130, however, by 2000, differences in priorities between the two firms brought about an end to the partnership, with each developing the aircraft independently, with Aermacchi retaining worldwide marketing rights except for Russia and the other CIS nations. A Russian version is also being pursued by Yakovlev and Sokol, under a different time schedule.
The M-346 is a highly modified version of the aircraft the joint venture was producing, and uses equipment exclusively from Western manufacturers. The first prototype rolled out on 7 June 2003 and flew for the first time on 15 July 2004.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_M-346
Okay… it’s a heavily modified Yak-130. Happy?
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