I believe that’s the idea of F/A-50. KAI and Lockheed design T-50 for something that can be further developed from supersonic advance trainer, toward LIFT, and Supersonic Light Fighter that aimed to fill the gap of F-5 and possible Mig-21.

The original design for F/A-50 I believe was a singgle seater with GE-414 as powerplant. Equiped with Aesa and have 9 weapons hardpoint. In sense it’s something that comparable with Grippen. With KF-X in hand, I Don’t Know if KAI have appetite to developed T-50 to original FA-50 design, or they will come out with some lower specs compromise than original FA-50 design (for the final FA-50). Because if I see from KAI sites, this present FA-50, is something that just little bit more advance than TA-50 (LIFT version of T-50), and not the original FA-50 design called for.

There was a plan and it is called F-50 and yes it had aesa and a 414. Unfortunately the government wont pay for development and buy it because there is no place in between the FA-50 and F-16 for it. So it is scraped but maybe KAI will do it for a customer but it is unlikely.

SURE.. Turkish T129 has LHTEC CTS800 engines for example

Oh yeah I forgot. The T-129 bid is my personal favorite because Turkey will give us T-129 for AH-X then let us make a K-129 for KAH which is will be stuffed with surion parts and Korean electronics. Much better but it would be expensive to have that many medium attack helicopters.

seems no one likes the Tiger.. so why does Tiger suck so bad?

Compared to the legendary Huey/Cobra the famous Apache the badass Hind and the Aphchski Havoc and last but not least the amazing Hokum its more like that Helicopters of that class don’t get any attention unless it is a cobra.

but if Korea took Ah-64 and Ah-6, there would be no need to develop an indigenous light attack helicopter

that’s what the Z-19 is! :diablo:

Thats why koreans don’t want the AH-6 and just want the Apache+offsets and make a Light attack chopper without a base. Probably have some surion commonality but less restrictions so it is a more dedicated design.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aerospacedaily&id=news/asd/2012/01/12/02.xml&headline=Seoul%20To%20Solicit%20Attack%20Helo%20Bids

Competitors:
US AH-64D Block III, AH-1Z,
Turkey T-129
France Tigre

S.Korea must not have much confidence in KAI’s ability to make its own attack helicopters

Thats like saying we won’t do KFX because of FX-3.

It is true we won’t be making any heavy attack helicopters but that is because we don’t want the numbers that warrant it So we will buy heavy attack helicopters like the Apache (Probably) and develop and Hind or Cobra/Tiger level lighter attack helicopter in KAH.

In the short term we are also getting some ASW specialized helicopters in MHX then using KNH/Naval Surion for a multipurpose ASW/Amphibious Assault.