The export of the Korean multi-purpose fighter FA-50 could gain momentum following the election of presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki (42). Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the manufacturer of the FA-50, needs equipment that must be purchased by the Polish government from the United States and then handed over to KAI, but it has not yet received this equipment. The industry expects that the elected President Nawrocki will have a friendly relationship with President Donald Trump, leading to successful negotiations between Poland and the United States.
The Polish government signed a contract with KAI in September 2022 for the introduction of 48 FA-50 fighter jets. In July of the same year, a master contract was signed between Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Rotem, KAI, and the Polish Armaments Agency to implement the export of the FA-50, with a value of $3 billion (4.176 trillion won). In addition to the FA-50, the export of K9 self-propelled howitzers and K2 tanks was also included in this contract. KAI delivered 12 FA-50GF (Gap Filler) aircraft as part of the first delivery by December of last year.
KAI planned to produce the remaining 36 models as an upgraded version of the FA-50, reflecting the requirements of the Polish Air Force, known as FA-50PL (Poland), and to deliver them sequentially from the second half of this year until 2028. However, this plan is not being executed as scheduled. There are components that require export approval from the U.S. government, and some parts, including weapon systems for the fighter jet, reportedly have not received approval.
A reason for the delay is also the slow development of the M-code, one of the government-provided equipment. The M-code is a military GPS signal being developed by the U.S. Department of Defense to address vulnerabilities in existing GPS signals and to create a next-generation military signal. It is reported that Poland requested the American GPS instead of the GPS that was to be installed in the FA-50.
The U.S. Congress's auditing agency, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), indicated in a report that "the development of receivers for aircraft is delayed, causing the provision of M-code capabilities to aviation platforms to be postponed."
Amid these developments, the election of Nawrocki, who is close to President Trump, could be a turning point. Nawrocki, a conservative historian, ran for the presidency with an anti-European and pro-American agenda, which included reducing support for Ukrainian refugees, withdrawing from the European refugee agreement, and cooperating on security with the Trump administration. He is known to have a stronger anti-European and pro-American inclination than the current president.
Nawrocki attended the National Day of Prayer event held at the White House earlier this month and took photos with President Trump, which he also used in his campaign. Nawrocki will begin his term on August 6.
Currently, KAI is making prototypes of the FA-50PL, but it has not completed any of the 36 units due to the arrival of key components. As a result, KAI is negotiating a new contract with the Polish government to postpone the delivery by more than a year.
There are evaluations suggesting that the inauguration of President Nawrocki will positively influence defense cooperation between Korea and Poland. The conservative party in Poland, Law and Justice (PiS), successfully supported Nawrocki in the election process. PiS is the party that promoted the master contract with Korea in 2022. The current president, Andrzej Duda, who will retire in August, also advocated for Korean weapon systems, as he is also associated with PiS.