Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced on the 14th that it has signed a contract for the airframe life extension project of the KT-1B basic trainer aircraft operated by the Indonesian government and the Indonesian Air Force. The contract amount is $64 million (approximately 93 billion won).
The airframe life extension project refers to reinforcing the fuselage and wings (the left and right sides of the fuselage) through operational analysis and life assessment, aiming to extend the airframe's design life to the target operational hours. KAI noted that the life of the KT-1B airframe is expected to increase by approximately 150% compared to the existing specifications through this project.
KAI plans to send specialized personnel to Indonesia to carry out the life extension project. It will also expand cooperation with local corporations such as the Indonesian Air Force and the state-owned defense corporation PTDI.
The KT-1B is the Indonesian export version of the basic trainer KT-1. Since the export of the first unit in 2003, a total of 20 units have been exported to date. The Indonesian Air Force uses the KT-1B as a basic trainer for pilot training and also utilizes it for the aerobatic team Jupiter.
Aircraft typically operates for more than 30 to 40 years, and the follow-up support and performance enhancement projects can amount to 2 to 5 times the cost of acquiring the aircraft. KAI plans to expand the life extension project based on contracts for a total of 224 domestically produced aircraft.
KAI stated, "This life extension contract demonstrates our capacity as a comprehensive aviation solution provider capable of managing the entire lifecycle of aircraft, from development and manufacturing to operation and maintenance, and performance enhancements."