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Made in Korea: Counterinsurgency Trainers for Peru

ROKAF KT-1 trainer

ROKAF KT-1
(click to view full)

First deliveries; Peru will serve as an export hub.

Oct 22/14: Delivery. Peru’s first 2 KT-1Ps are rolled out at Las Palmas, Peru. Another 2 will come from Korea, followed by 16 to be assembled at SEMAN’s Las Palmas facilities. KAI’s release adds that the Las Palmas facilities will be a hub for exports to Latin America, but the existing penetration of Embraer (EMB-314 Super Tucano) and Beechcraft (T-6C/ AT-6C) will make that a hard slog.

Peru will replace its old Embraer EMB-312 turboprops and Alenia MB-339 jets, with full KT-1P deployment planned for 2016. Sources: KAI, “KT-1P to fly over Peru”.

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KAI’s KA-1(click to view full) In November 2012, Peru signed a $200 million contract with South Korea for turboprop trainers and light attack aircraft. The deal involves 10 of its KT-1 trainers, which have also been exported to Turkey and Indonesia, and 10 KA-1 armed counterinsurgency variants. Korea Aerospace Industries will ship 4 of the […]
KAI's KA-1 Labelled

KAI’s KA-1
(click to view full)

In November 2012, Peru signed a $200 million contract with South Korea for turboprop trainers and light attack aircraft. The deal involves 10 of its KT-1 trainers, which have also been exported to Turkey and Indonesia, and 10 KA-1 armed counterinsurgency variants. Korea Aerospace Industries will ship 4 of the planes from South Korea, with the rest being assembled from KAI kits in Peru.

The same “value positioning” model that made items like Korea’s Hyundai cars a success is also at work in the global defense sector. It’s time for competitors to take note, because that model is starting to rack up steady wins.

ROKAF KT-1 trainer

ROKAF KT-1
(click to view full)

Oct 22/14: Delivery. Peru’s first 2 KT-1Ps are rolled out at Las Palmas, Peru. Another 2 will come from Korea, followed by 16 to be assembled at SEMAN’s Las Palmas facilities. KAI’s release adds that the Las Palmas facilities will be a hub for exports to Latin America, but the existing penetration of Embraer (EMB-314 Super Tucano) and Beechcraft (T-6C/ AT-6C) will make that a hard slog.

Peru will replace its old Embraer EMB-312 turboprops and Alenia MB-339 jets, with full KT-1P deployment planned for 2016. Sources: KAI, “KT-1P to fly over Peru”.

Feb 19/14: 1st flight. A successful first flight for Peru’s KT-1P. It appears that KAI and the Peruvians have shifted to a single type for both roles:

“KT-1P is a utility aircraft with improved high-tech avionics equipment and arming capability based on domestic basic trainer KT-1, tactical control aircraft KA-1, which is operated as light attack aircraft, and XKT-1, developed for export by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE).”

That kind of all-in-one positioning will help a lot as KAI and Peru attempt to compete with Brazil’s Embraer, and against Beechcraft with its Mexican industrial presence. Sources: Korea MND, “KT-1P Korean Trainer for Export to Peru Makes First Flight”.

KT-1P flies, shifts to single multi-role design

Nov 19/13: Industrial. Peru has reportedly set up its KT-1 family assembly plant at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, and plans to begin final assembly work on 16 planes beginning in March 2014.

Peru’s defense minister expressed hopes that this could become a base for further sales in the region, and KAI President Ha Sung-yong agreed. He also said that it was an opportunity for Peruvian engineers to obtain the technology needed for independent maintenance in Peru. Sources: Yonhap, “Peru sets up plant to build S. Korean trainer jets”.

Nov 7/12: The $200 million contract is signed for 10 KT-1 trainers, and 10 KT-1 counter-insurgency aircraft. KAI’s KT-1 reportedly beat Beechcraft’s A/T-6B (Mexico), Pilatus’ PC-9M, and Brazil’s popular EMB-134 Super Tucano (many Latin American countries). An ROK official is quoted as saying that KAI plane won on both price and operational efficiency, while acknowledging that convincing a Latin American country not to buy from Brazil was challenging.

The sale will raise KT-1 family sales to around 180 planes: 100 operating in Korea, plus 60 in Turkey and Indonesia. Chosun Ilbo | YTN [in Korean].

Contract: 20 planes

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