Indonesia to Receive Six More South Korean KAI T-50i Jets for Training and Light Combat
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Indonesia will begin taking delivery of six additional KAI T-50i Golden Eagle trainers, with the first two aircraft arriving in November 2025. The order, placed in 2021, enhances pilot training and light-attack capacity as Jakarta modernizes its air arm.
On September 29, 2025, Indonesian Air Force officials visited Korea Aerospace Industries’ facilities in Sacheon and inspected T-50i aircraft destined for Jakarta, as the country prepares to receive six additional Golden Eagles. The first two are scheduled to arrive in November 2025. The purchase stems from a contract signed in 2021 and forms part of a broader modernization effort. The T-50i fleet underpins Indonesia’s lead-in fighter training pipeline and supports broader force-modernization goals.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Indonesia has operated the T-50i since 2014 to prepare pilots for transition to frontline fighters. (Picture source: Indonesian Air Force)
Developed by KAI with Lockheed Martin, the T-50i is a supersonic Lead In Fighter Trainer. It is powered by a General Electric F404-GE-102 with FADEC, reaches about Mach 1.5, and operates within a 48,000 to 55,000 ft envelope depending on the profile. Designed primarily for training, it can carry up to five tons of external stores and has an internal 20 mm M197 three-barrel cannon, with a rate of fire around 2,000 rounds per minute. The timeline was confirmed following Air Vice Marshal Tedi Rizalihadi’s visit to the Sacheon assembly line, which anchors delivery of the first two aircraft before the end of the year.
Indonesia has operated the T-50i since 2014 to prepare pilots for transition to frontline fighters. The first examples have been fielded by the 15th Squadron at Iswahjudi Air Base in Central Java, and the type took part in public demonstrations in Jakarta in August. The six additional airframes will not overhaul the fleet, but they will widen the training pipeline and smooth progression phases. Delivering two aircraft first, then four, allows acceptance, familiarization, and syllabus validation to begin while the remaining units leave the factory and complete testing. Specific basing has not been disclosed at this stage, which is common before delivery.
Technically, the Indonesian T-50i has an architecture close to a light fighter. The tandem cockpit is fully HOTAS, with three multifunction displays per seat, a head-up display, and a triple-redundant digital fly-by-wire system. The one-piece stretched-acrylic canopy provides wide visibility and has been qualified against impacts from small objects at high speed, useful for low-level training. The airframe is rated for 8,000 hours. The F404-GE-102 delivers up to 78.7 kN with afterburner, enabling a climb rate near 39,000 ft/min and a flight envelope suitable for intercept training and energy-management exercises at realistic closure speeds. Internal fuel totals about 2,655 liters across seven tanks, with provisions for three 150 US-gallon external tanks for ferry missions. In a representative training configuration, typical combat training radius is approximately 230 to 240 nautical miles, while the ferry range exceeds 1,400 nautical miles.
Avionics on the TNI AU’s T-50i include the Elta EL/M-2032 fire-control radar, a Honeywell GPS/INS with radar altimeter, data recorders, and onboard maintenance aids. Indonesia upgraded the first batch from 2018 by installing the radar and internal cannon to standardize the fleet. The aircraft is compatible with targeting pods such as Sniper or LITENING when guided-weapons training is scheduled. G-limits are about +8 g to −3 g, suitable for advanced instruction while staying within a controlled envelope.
In terms of stores, the platform has seven hardpoints, four underwing, two wingtip, and one centerline, for a theoretical maximum around 5,400 kg. The internal 20 mm M197, fed with linkless ammunition, supports close-range gunnery and basic qualification. Wingtip rails carry AIM-9 family short-range missiles, used primarily for training. Air-to-ground training loads include 70 mm rockets, Mk 82/83/84 general-purpose bombs, and, when required, guided kits such as GBU-12 Paveway II or JDAM. AGM-65 Maverick can be employed in specific scenarios. The aim is not to recast the T-50i as an attack fighter, but to replicate mass, drag, and procedures students will meet on multirole platforms.
On the industrial side, KAI and Lockheed Martin have built a supportable supply chain. The F404 engine, license-produced in Korea and managed by FADEC, simplifies sustainment. The EL/M-2032 radar, widely used in the region, supports availability and technician training. The new airframes due in November will remain interoperable with those already in service at Iswahjudi and Halim Perdanakusuma, with identical cockpit interfaces, tooling, and maintenance procedures. This allows an immediate increase in training sorties, reduces scheduling pressure, and preserves maintenance margins without disrupting course flow.
Operationally, the T-50i bridges basic training and conversion to the F-16 and, in the near term, the Rafale. Supersonic speed, high operating ceiling, and useful payload enable realistic air-to-air and air-to-ground profiles, including live-fire sequences when syllabi require them. The first two aircraft can be integrated into training programs and ground support arrangements, with the remaining four completing the ramp-up.
This schedule aligns with other modernization milestones. The first three Rafales are expected between February and March 2026; infrastructure work has been reviewed at Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base to prepare for their introduction; and a potential J-10C purchase remains under consideration within the Defense Equipment Selection Council process. Jakarta maintains a non-aligned posture and diversifies partnerships. In this context, a reliable, supportable supersonic LIFT remains the constant that sustains pilot generation regardless of the eventual frontline fighter mix. T-50i deliveries starting in November set the pace for 2026 without creating a bottleneck in the training pipeline.
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Indonesia will begin taking delivery of six additional KAI T-50i Golden Eagle trainers, with the first two aircraft arriving in November 2025. The order, placed in 2021, enhances pilot training and light-attack capacity as Jakarta modernizes its air arm.
On September 29, 2025, Indonesian Air Force officials visited Korea Aerospace Industries’ facilities in Sacheon and inspected T-50i aircraft destined for Jakarta, as the country prepares to receive six additional Golden Eagles. The first two are scheduled to arrive in November 2025. The purchase stems from a contract signed in 2021 and forms part of a broader modernization effort. The T-50i fleet underpins Indonesia’s lead-in fighter training pipeline and supports broader force-modernization goals.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Indonesia has operated the T-50i since 2014 to prepare pilots for transition to frontline fighters. (Picture source: Indonesian Air Force)
Developed by KAI with Lockheed Martin, the T-50i is a supersonic Lead In Fighter Trainer. It is powered by a General Electric F404-GE-102 with FADEC, reaches about Mach 1.5, and operates within a 48,000 to 55,000 ft envelope depending on the profile. Designed primarily for training, it can carry up to five tons of external stores and has an internal 20 mm M197 three-barrel cannon, with a rate of fire around 2,000 rounds per minute. The timeline was confirmed following Air Vice Marshal Tedi Rizalihadi’s visit to the Sacheon assembly line, which anchors delivery of the first two aircraft before the end of the year.
Indonesia has operated the T-50i since 2014 to prepare pilots for transition to frontline fighters. The first examples have been fielded by the 15th Squadron at Iswahjudi Air Base in Central Java, and the type took part in public demonstrations in Jakarta in August. The six additional airframes will not overhaul the fleet, but they will widen the training pipeline and smooth progression phases. Delivering two aircraft first, then four, allows acceptance, familiarization, and syllabus validation to begin while the remaining units leave the factory and complete testing. Specific basing has not been disclosed at this stage, which is common before delivery.
Technically, the Indonesian T-50i has an architecture close to a light fighter. The tandem cockpit is fully HOTAS, with three multifunction displays per seat, a head-up display, and a triple-redundant digital fly-by-wire system. The one-piece stretched-acrylic canopy provides wide visibility and has been qualified against impacts from small objects at high speed, useful for low-level training. The airframe is rated for 8,000 hours. The F404-GE-102 delivers up to 78.7 kN with afterburner, enabling a climb rate near 39,000 ft/min and a flight envelope suitable for intercept training and energy-management exercises at realistic closure speeds. Internal fuel totals about 2,655 liters across seven tanks, with provisions for three 150 US-gallon external tanks for ferry missions. In a representative training configuration, typical combat training radius is approximately 230 to 240 nautical miles, while the ferry range exceeds 1,400 nautical miles.
Avionics on the TNI AU’s T-50i include the Elta EL/M-2032 fire-control radar, a Honeywell GPS/INS with radar altimeter, data recorders, and onboard maintenance aids. Indonesia upgraded the first batch from 2018 by installing the radar and internal cannon to standardize the fleet. The aircraft is compatible with targeting pods such as Sniper or LITENING when guided-weapons training is scheduled. G-limits are about +8 g to −3 g, suitable for advanced instruction while staying within a controlled envelope.
In terms of stores, the platform has seven hardpoints, four underwing, two wingtip, and one centerline, for a theoretical maximum around 5,400 kg. The internal 20 mm M197, fed with linkless ammunition, supports close-range gunnery and basic qualification. Wingtip rails carry AIM-9 family short-range missiles, used primarily for training. Air-to-ground training loads include 70 mm rockets, Mk 82/83/84 general-purpose bombs, and, when required, guided kits such as GBU-12 Paveway II or JDAM. AGM-65 Maverick can be employed in specific scenarios. The aim is not to recast the T-50i as an attack fighter, but to replicate mass, drag, and procedures students will meet on multirole platforms.
On the industrial side, KAI and Lockheed Martin have built a supportable supply chain. The F404 engine, license-produced in Korea and managed by FADEC, simplifies sustainment. The EL/M-2032 radar, widely used in the region, supports availability and technician training. The new airframes due in November will remain interoperable with those already in service at Iswahjudi and Halim Perdanakusuma, with identical cockpit interfaces, tooling, and maintenance procedures. This allows an immediate increase in training sorties, reduces scheduling pressure, and preserves maintenance margins without disrupting course flow.
Operationally, the T-50i bridges basic training and conversion to the F-16 and, in the near term, the Rafale. Supersonic speed, high operating ceiling, and useful payload enable realistic air-to-air and air-to-ground profiles, including live-fire sequences when syllabi require them. The first two aircraft can be integrated into training programs and ground support arrangements, with the remaining four completing the ramp-up.
This schedule aligns with other modernization milestones. The first three Rafales are expected between February and March 2026; infrastructure work has been reviewed at Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base to prepare for their introduction; and a potential J-10C purchase remains under consideration within the Defense Equipment Selection Council process. Jakarta maintains a non-aligned posture and diversifies partnerships. In this context, a reliable, supportable supersonic LIFT remains the constant that sustains pilot generation regardless of the eventual frontline fighter mix. T-50i deliveries starting in November set the pace for 2026 without creating a bottleneck in the training pipeline.
