T-50 supersonic trainer jet set for export to Indonesia

Korea’s lone aircraft maker won has been chosen as the preferred bidder of an Indonesian project to replace aging trainer jets, Korea Aerospace Industries said Tuesday.

Korea Aerospace Industries President Kim Hong-kyung said, “The Indonesian government, which is trying to replace its trainer jets, officially notified us today that they chose us as the preferred bidder for the project.”

“Sixteen trainer jets will be exported,” he said. “The combined sale price is said to be 400 million dollars but could be changed based on the results of the negotiations.”

“The final deal can be sealed as early as one to two months," he added. “Trainer jets are expected to be delivered by 2013.”

If the final agreement is concluded, Korea will be the world’s sixth exporter of supersonic aircraft following the U.S., Russia, the U.K., France, and Sweden.

The Korean government failed in its attempts to export the T-50 to the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.

In August last year, Indonesia chose the T-50, the Yak-130 of Russia, and the L-159B of the Czech Republic as candidates to replace aging trainer jets, but the Korean model was considered less competitive in price.

Kim said, “In cooperation with domestic parts suppliers, we reduced the price a little,” adding, “The accident of Russia’s Yak-130 in test flights seems to have helped us get a favorable result.”

Negotiations between Seoul and Jakarta hit a huge snag in February after Korean spies broke into the hotel room of an Indonesian presidential delegate.

“I was worried because of the incident, but the Indonesian counterpart didn’t mention it in negotiations,” Kim said.

A government official in Seoul said, “The media once predicted Korea would be eliminated from the competition, but the close relationship between President Lee Myung-bak and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono helped Korea in the negotiations.”

polaris@donga.com srkim@donga.com