Korea Aerospace Industries confirms: FA-50PL to be integrated with AMRAAM

„According to General Nowak’s statement, cooperation with the US Government on the integration of the AIM-120 with the FA-50 is progressing very well,” KAI told Defence24. „KAI is preparing for rapid integration in accordance with the decision of the Polish Government. However, given that the scope and nature of the US Government’s approval are subject to arrangements between the Governments of Poland and the United States, the company has limited knowledge regarding those arrangements.”

The Korean manufacturer does not want to go into detail because of the Polish-American intergovernmental arrangements, but it told us that it was „very pleased with this decision”. The Koreans make no secret of the fact that this is a precedent-setting matter and very good news from the perspective of the entire aircraft programme.

„FA-50 is a multi-role aircraft capable of both combat and training within a single platform. This integration will be an important option in modernisation programmes for FA-50 aircraft for countries already operating it, as well as those planning to acquire the FA-50 as a combat aircraft. Integration of AIM-120 missiles on the FA-50PL will enable beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air engagement and allow fuller use of the aircraft’s combat potential,” reads the response provided to Defence24. 

In response to our enquiry regarding integration of the PhantomStrike radar with the FA-50, we were told that work is under way and progressing according to schedule, and that „the test aircraft has been sent to the United States for radar verification testing”. During our visit to KAI’s facilities in November 2025, we learned that the aircraft was due to be sent to the United States shortly, and that Lockheed Martin and RTX (Raytheon) were to assist in the integration work and testing. This means that work has been under way for weeks, and probably even months. Radar integration is crucial from the perspective of integrating radar-guided AMRAAM missiles with the aircraft, as these must be able to communicate with this system.  

The missiles in question are radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAMs of the C variant. There is still said to be discussion as to whether the integration will be carried out under an intergovernmental agreement (FMS) or a direct commercial contract between the manufacturers.

The AIM-120C is not the latest version of the weapon, but it is identical to the versions that have so far been used on Polish F-16s, and it remains a weapon with very high technical performance. Its use on the FA-50PL, combined with the earlier US approval for the integration of AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range missiles, will make the FA-50 a light multi-role aircraft in the fullest sense of the term. It will also become what it was originally intended to be when the decision was made to acquire the aircraft. 

The information on approval for integration is therefore of fundamental significance for the entire Polish FA-50 programme. Possession of a medium- or long-range air-to-air missile was the decisive factor determining whether the FA-50PL aircraft in Poland would make sense at all.

For many years, since the contract was signed in September 2022, the issue of AMRAAM integration remained unresolved. This contributed to a delay in the entire programme of around 1.5 years.

There were, among other things, reports that the Americans did not want to allow the integration because of a reluctance to create a cheap Korean alternative to the F-16. However, that would not make much sense, given that the F-16 is a medium-size aircraft rather than a light one, and therefore a product from a somewhat different category than the FA-50. Moreover, the issue of supporting key allies with their armaments programmes remains important for the United States, and this concerns not only Poland, but also the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Thailand. The ability to offer the FA-50 as a fully multi-role aircraft to smaller allies is also of considerable value.  

In Poland, the integration will probably concern only the 36 PL-variant aircraft, rather than the 12 GF aircraft already in service. As General Nowak said in an interview with Defence24, those aircraft will be used as training-combat aircraft, with the ability to strike ground targets and armed only with short-range air-to-air missiles. Their originally announced conversion was judged to be pointless, given their high usefulness as training-combat aircraft.  

Originally, the FA-50PL aircraft were to start being handed over to Poland from November 2025. The currently applicable date is mid-2027. The first deliveries are therefore significantly delayed. They are, however, to be conducted more intensively, so the final delivery date will not differ greatly from the original plan.