T-50 Golden Eagle:
(sources via Wikipedia, redstar)
AIRCRAFT INFO
Aircraft Description/History
The KAI T-50 Golden Eagle (Korean: 골든이글) is a family of advanced, supersonic, South Korean jet trainers, light strike fighters and multirole light fighters developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) with Lockheed Martin. It is South Korea’s first locally produced supersonic aircraft and one of the world’s few supersonic trainers. Produced in the latter half of the 1990s, it flew its maiden flight in 2002 and entered service with ROKAF “Republic of Korea Air Force” 3 years after. The T-50 has been further developed into aerobatic and combat variants, namely T-50B, TA-50, and FA-50. The T-50B serves with the South Korean Air Force’s aerobatics team. As of 2026, 200 T-50 family aircraft have been produced.
Notable Deployments
Philippines
(Battle of Marawi, 2017): Several newly acquired FA-50PH Fighting Eagle jet light aircraft flown by the 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron (5th Fighter Wing) of the Philippine Air Force joined the war-torn Islamic City of Marawi in the Lanao Del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines. They executed CAS (close air support) and urban air-ground missions against the Maute and ISIS-supported Abu Sayyaf Group.
(Pitch Black 2024 & 2026): Hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force, the FA-50PH Fighting Eagles of the Philippine Air Force participated and excelled in numerous airshows and multinational training combat sorties. Unofficial reports suggests that during a BFM session against the JAS-39 Gripens of the Royal Thai Air Force, they won with kills 10-8.
(West Philippine Sea Air Patrols): Though unconfirmed, it is highly likely that the 6th FS, and 7th FS of the 5th FW have been doing CAP missions in the West Philippine Sea, eyeing illegal Chinese naval operations in Philippine waters won by UNCLOS 2016 Arbitrary Ruling.
Thailand
(Thai-Cambodian War, 2026): During the border skirmish between the Thai and Cambodian Armed Forces, Defense Security Asia reported the deployment of Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) T-50TH Golden Eagle aircraft in live combat missions supporting F-16’s and Saab Gripen fighters striking Cambodian targets and infrastructure.
South Korea
(Border Patrol): The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) have been busy in surveillance of enemy air assets and ground movement from the DPRFAF and DPRK Army, it is highly likely that T-50, TF-50, and TA-50 aircraft have conducted CAP and possibly intercepted unwanted flying objects in INCHEON airspace.
Equipment
ENGINES: General Electric F404-GE-102
- w/ Full Authority Digital Engine Control
- No Throttle Restrictions thru Engine Envelope
- Low Bypass Turbofan w/ Afterburner
TECH:
- Digital Glass Cockpit
- HOTAS, Active Stick
- Digital Fly-by-Wire
- Night Vision Goggle / NVISC
COMPATIBILITY:
- Air-Air, Air-Ground Weapons
- Fire Control Radar
- Internal Mounted Gun
- Combat Mode Avionics
- All Weather Ops
CAPABILITIES
Maximum Payload / Capacity
MAX PAYLOAD:
4,500 kg (9,920 lbs) of weapons, fuel, and pods.
HARDPOINT LAYOUT:
7 armament hardpoints
-
Station 1, 7 - Wingtip Rails (sidewinder missiles) (250 lb, 8g load)
-
Station 2, 3, 5, 6 - Underwing Pylons (A2AM, A2GM, Pods) (2,6 ~ 1250lb, 3,5 ~ 2500lb) (5.5g load)
-
Station 4 - Undercarriage Fuselage (Fuel Tank) (2500lb, 5.5g load)
Supported Armaments
AIR-AIR MISSILES (A2AM)
- AIM-9L/M/P/S Sidewinder: Legacy short range infrared-homing missiles (Station 1&7)
- AIM-9X Sidewinder: Modernized, high-off-boresight short-range missile (Block 20/Block 70 variants) (Station 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7)
- AIM-120 AMRAAM: Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) active-radar guided missile (Block 20/70 variants) (Station 2, 3, 5, 6)
- MBDA Meteor & MICA: Long-medium range Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) missile indigenous in Europe integrated by KAI (S 2, 3, 5, 6)
AIR-GROUND MISSILES (A2GM)
- AGM-65 A/B/D/G Maverick: Tactical air-to-ground (A2G) guided missiles for heavy targets (S 2, 3, 5, 6)
- SLAM-ER/Sea Eagle/Other Anti-Ship Missiles: Upgraded variants are slated for maritime-strike roles.
INTERNAL CANNON
-General Dynamics A-50 Modified M197 Gatling Gun (20mm): Modified M197 Gatling gun mounted on the aircraft with 205 rounds of linkless ammunition.
PRECISON-GUIDED MUNITIONS (PGMs)
- GBU-38/B JDAM: 500lb GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions for all-weather precision bombing strike packages.
- GBU-12 Paveway II: 500lb Laser-Guided Bomb (LGB), requiring designation via targeting pod.
- KGGB (Korean GPS Guided Bomb): Korean indigenous wing-kit equipped glide bomb, capable for hidden/reverse-slope targets.
- CBU-105 WCMD: Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser, carriage Sensor Fuzed Weapons (SFW) capable for anti-armor grid suppression.
- Spice 250/ Spice 1000: Stand-off autonomous electro-optical/GPS guidance kits, unguided → precision glide bomb hybrid
UNGUIDED BOMBS AND DISPENSERS
- Mk 82 LDGP: 500lb Low Drag Ground Purpose free-fall bomb
- Mk 83 LDGP: 1,000lb medium-weight general-purpose free-fall bomb
- CBU-97/CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon: Advanced anti-armor cluster bomb with individual smart “skeet” submunitions capable of convoy neutralization
- SUU-20 Dispenser: A specialized airborne trainer pod used to carry and release up to 6 individual practice sub-caliber bombs and 4 unguided rockets.
ROCKET SYSTEMS
- LAU-3/A Rocket Launcher: 19-tube launcher barrel block designed to cycle through 2.75-inch (70mm) Folding-Fin Aerial Rockets (FFAR) or Hydra 70 unguided rockets.
- LOGIR (Low-Cost Guided Imaging Rocket): Converts standard 70mm rockets into low-cost precision weapons
SUPPORT, FUEL, TARGETING HARDWARE
- AN/AAQ-33 Sniper ATP: Mounted on the centerline Station 4. Provides autonomous thermal imaging, forward-looking infrared (FLIR), and laser tracking for precision weapon release.
- ALQ-200K ECM Pod: An externally carried electronic countermeasure pod utilized to jam enemy radar signals and incoming tracking frequencies.
- Ext. Fuel Tanks: 150-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks typically mounted S 3,4,5 to vastly extend strike range.
Aircraft Performance
SPEED: M 1.5
ACCELERATION: (M0.4 → M0.8 @ 25 s)
SERVICE ALT.: FL550
THRUST/WEIGHT R.: “High”
RATE OF CLIMB: 40,000ft/min
LIMITS: AutoAoA, G-limiter, roll-rate limiter
- ROLL RATE: 200 degrees/s
- G-LIMITER: +8.5 - +8.0g → -3.0g
EXISTING VARIANTS
T-50 Golden Eagle
Advanced trainer version.
Here are the subvariants;
T-50B
Aerobatic-specialized T-50 version. Used by ROKAF’s aerobatic display team, the Black Eagles.
TA-50
Lead-in fighter trainer and light attack hybrid.
TF-50
A variant of the T-50 trainer platform that is uniquely configured as an advanced trainer and light attack fighter. It has modern capabilities to meet multiple missions and get new pilots flying operational sorties faster.
FA-50 Fighting Eagle
Light fighter/attack version of the trainer aircraft. Maiden flight was in 2011.
Block 10
Has software upgrades to enable integration of Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pod.
Block 40
Baseline package FA-50 configuration
Block 50
Equipped with a Link 16 data link, fire detection system, radar warning receiver (RWR), countermeasures dispensing system, Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, and compatibility with laser-guided bombs such as GBU-12 Paveway II, JDAM.
Block 20
An upgraded variant incorporating a range of enhancements intended to expand its operational capabilities. While specific configurations may vary depending on the requirements of individual operators several key features are common across planned versions. These include the integration of a telescopic aerial refueling probe, 1,100 litre conformal fuel tanks to extend range, and an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Additional upgrades encompass improved avionics, a helmet-mounted display (HMD), and compatibility with a wider array of munitions. These include laser-guided bombs such as the GBU-12, advanced short-range air-to-air missiles, as well as medium- to long-range air-to-air missiles.
Block 60
Enhances mission endurance and range with 300-gallon conformal fuel tanks (CFT) and air-to-air refueling (AAR) capability.
Block 70
Upgraded for advanced air-to-air combat with dual AESA surveillance and fire control radar, compatibility with AIM-9X high off-boresight missiles supported by a Head-Mounted Display (HMD), and AIM-120 AMRAAM for beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagements.
OPERATORS
Indonesia
VARIANT: T-50i T-50 bred (19 in service)
WING/SQUADRON:
2nd Air Force Regional Command (Indonesian Air Force)
- Skadron Udara 15 (15th Air Squadron) (Iswahjudi Air Force Base)
Iraq
VARIANT: T-50IQ FA-50 bred (24 delivered)
WING/SQUADRON:
Iraqi Air Force
- 204th Squadron (Ali Air Base)
Malaysia
VARIANT: FA-50M Block 70 (18 on order)
WING/SQUADRON:
Air Region 2 (Royal Malaysian Air Force)
- No.6 Squadron (Labuan Air Base)
Philippines
VARIANT: FA-50PH Block 50 (11 in service soon upgraded to Block 60 and 70) (12 Block 70 on order)
SQUADRON/WING:
5th Fighter Wing (Philippine Air Force)
- 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Basa Air Base) (COBRAS)
- 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Basa Air Base) (BULLDOGS)
Poland
VARIANT:
- FA-50GF Block 50 (12 on order)
- FA-50PL Block 70 (36 on order)
WING/SQUADRON:
1st Tactical Air Wing (Polish Air Force)
- 22nd Tactical Air Base (Malbork)
- 23rd Tactical Air Base (Mińsk Mazowiecki)
- 3rd Tactical Air Base
Thailand
VARIANT: T-50TH (14 in service)
WING/SQUADRON:
Wing 4 (Royal Thai Air Force)
- 401 Light Attack Squadron (Takhli)
South Korea
VARIANT:
- T-50 (50 in service)
- T-50B (10 in service)
- TA-50 (22 in service)
- FA-50 (60 in service)
COMMAND/WING:
Air Combat Command
- 1st Fighter Wing (Gwangju)
- 8th Fighter Wing (Suwon)
- 16th Fighter Wing (Yeocheon)
The reason why I’m “pitching” this aircraft to be in the game is that it compliments the F-16C because it has the same characteristics and wide multirole capabilities. The game needs another light multirole fighter which handles great and performs well against other bigger platforms.
