By JUNG SUNG-KI
SEOUL — South Korea has signed a deal to export 24 light fighter jets to Iraq for $1.1 billion, Seoul’s largest arms sale in history.
Under the deal, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) will deliver 24 FA-50 jets to the Iraqi Air Force between 2015 and 2016. The FA-50 is a light attack variant of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer aircraft jointly built by Lockheed Martin. The Iraq export version is named the T-50IQ.
The FA-50 beat the Hawk-128 by BAE Systems, the Yak-130 by Yakovlev of Russia and the L-159 by Aero Vodochody of the Czech Republic.
“The deal with Iraq will pave the way for exporting more T-50 aircraft to the Middle East following Asia, Europe and South America,” a KAI spokesman said.
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