KAI, Air Force host international conference with operators of Korean-made aircraft

Korea Aerospace Industries is holding two international conferences in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, from Wednesday through Friday alongside the Republic of Korea Air Force — the 15th Korea Technical Cooperation Group meeting and the 9th Safety Management Group meeting.

Organized by the Air Force and supported by KAI, the conferences brought together about 140 domestic participants from the Air Force, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), KAI, Hanwha Aerospace and LIG Defence & Aerospace, along with roughly 24 representatives from six countries that operate Korean-made aircraft: Indonesia, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Thailand and Turkey.

KAI and the Air Force have used the K-TCG forum — first held in 2009 — to introduce the technical support capabilities and strengths of domestically developed aircraft to current and prospective operator nations. Since 2016, the SMG meeting has run alongside it, providing a platform for sharing flight-safety information to strengthen the operational safety of Korean-made aircraft.

On the opening day Wednesday, Air Force Logistics Command Chief Maj. Gen. Park Jong-un delivered the opening remarks, followed by presentations on K-TCG and SMG operations, logistics support strategies and cases of operational improvements to domestic aircraft. Participants also heard from foreign operator nations about their logistics challenges and discussed potential solutions.

KAI presented a session on aircraft RAM-C analysis applications and showcased the FA-50 Sniper Targeting Pod integration — a best-practice example of performance upgrades being carried out on FA-50 aircraft operated by the Air Force and member nations.

The Air Force Logistics Command and Aviation Safety Group briefed attendees on the operational status of T-50 and KT-1 series aircraft, along with flight-safety statistics and recent accident investigation cases.

On Thursday, demonstration flights of Korean-made aircraft are scheduled at the Sacheon Air Show venue. On Friday, country- and aircraft-specific breakout sessions will allow participants to share current issues and hold in-depth discussions.

KAI Executive Vice President Song Ho-cheol, head of the production and operations division, said the conference was "a valuable opportunity to share operational performance, improvement cases and challenges with the nations operating our aircraft," adding that it had become "a chance to enhance the reliability of Korean-made aircraft and expand our export market going forward."