Korea Aerospace Industries wins $360M maintenance deal with Iraq for T-50IQ trainer jets.

Korea Aerospace Industries signed a 360 million U.S. dollar maintenance deal with Iraq. Under the three-year deal, KAI will provide repair and maintenance services for T-50IQ advanced trainer jets operated by the Iraqi air force, as well as training programs for pilots and engineers.

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T-50IQ (Picture source: Iraqi Air Force)

Under the three-year deal, KAI will provide repair and maintenance services for T-50IQ advanced trainer jets operated by the Iraqi air force, as well as training programs for pilots and engineers.

The KAI T-50 Golden Eagle is a family of South Korean supersonic advanced jet trainers and light combat aircraft, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) with Lockheed Martin.The T-50 is South Korea's first indigenous supersonic aircraft and one of the world's few supersonic trainers. Development began in the late 1990s, and its maiden flight occurred in 2002. The aircraft entered active service with the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) in 2005. 

Iraq was negotiating the acquisition of T-50 trainer jets, having first publicly expressed official interest during the Korea–Iraq summit in Seoul on 24 February 2009. In April 2010, Iraq reopened the jet lead-in fighter-trainer competition for 24 aircraft, in which TA-50 competed. In December 2013, it was announced that Iraq signed a contract for 24 aircraft of the FA-50 variant designated T-50IQ, plus additional equipment and pilot training over the next 20 years. Deliveries were to begin in April 2016, with all aircraft to be delivered over the next 12 months.

T-50IQs (Picture source: Iraqi Air Force)