Botswana looking to possibly buy T-50 and FA-50

It looks as though Botswana is looking seriously at the T-50 and FA-50 to replace its F-5 fleet.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 – 11:51

AAFonline

Botswana is actively looking to purchase South Korea’s T-50 supersonic advanced trainer and its FA-50 light combat aircraft, the South Korean Defense Ministry said on 18 November 2013.

The Botswana Air Force’s current compliment of aircraft consists of 14, F-5A fighter jets and F-5D trainers it bought from Canada in 1996. However it is now looking to replace them with more suitable modern aircraft.

Botswana’s Minister of Defence, Dikgakgamatso Seretse, met with his Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin in Seoul on 30 October 2013 during his visit to attend the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2013.

As a result of the deal, a senior South Korean military delegation will visit Botswana between 23 and 28 November 2013, to expand defense ties and seek opportunities to export home-made trainer jets to Botswana, Seoul’s defense ministry said on 18 November 2013. The delegation will consist of a team of eight military, acquisition and Air Force officials, led by a two-star general.

The Korean delegation plans to meet Botswana officials and hold a business presentation on the T-50 supersonic trainer, built jointly by Korea Aerospace Industries (KIA) and US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, as well as the FA-50, a light attack variant of the T-50.

“The visit is aimed at providing government support to facilitate the export of the T-50 or the FA-50,” a senior South Korean Defence Ministry official said on customary anonymity. “We hope the upcoming visit could help pave the way for South Korea to tap into Africa, expanding its overseas market focused in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Europe.”

It is presently known that the Botswana government is seeking to acquire about 16 jets, with plans to receive a first batch of eight aircraft with no specific date yet to be decided, according to military officials.

http://www.aafjournal.co.za/news/botswana-set-purchase-south-korean-trainer-and-fighter-aircraft

If this comes to fruition, it will be the third export order after Indonesia and the Phillipines. (Although I’m unsure whether the Phillipines deal is actually signed off yet.)