Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

On October 18th, the Air Force provided flight support to foreign military officers and pilots from Ecuador, Indonesia, and Malaysia who were visiting Korea during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2017 (Seoul ADEX 2017).

Ecuador's chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Cesar Merizade Pavon, visited the Air Force 3 Training Fleet and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in order to experience a flight on the KT-1, a domestic aircraft. Ecuadorian Air Force Commander Patricio Maora confirmed the entire flight training course of the ROKAF, including a flight education system briefing and a KT-1 simulator.

General Dato HJ Mohd Faudzi Ahmad, head of the Malaysian Air Force 1st Area Command, and Chief of Planning and Development Dato Muhamad Norazlan visited the Air Force 8 combat squadron, while Brigadier General Norazlan boarded the FA-50, a domestic fighter, to enjoy a flight experience.

At the ADEX 2017 event in Seoul, Colonel Marcellinus Ardha and Major Dharma Tolopan Gultom of the JUPITER unit of the Indonesian Air Force special flight team flew in the Black Eagles T-50B and KT-1, respectively.

Jupiter, which operates the domestic aircraft KT-1, previously held friendship flights with the Black Eagles at the LIMA 17 Air Show in Malaysia last March.

After completing the FA-50 flight experience, Brigadier General Norazlan of Malaysia praised the performance of the Korean fighter aircraft, saying, "The FA-50 fighter not only has the best maneuverability but also has excellent stability."

Ecuador Major General Maora said, "I realized that the systematic flight training system of the ROKAF is the key to the development of excellent pilots. I also experienced how the flight simulator, which realizes the actual flight environment, has a great effect on improving pilots' flight capability."

"This is a great opportunity to show the superiority of domestic aircraft to the countries that are in the process of introducing and replacing their planes," said Lee Dong-gyu, director general of the Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, "I will do my best to increase the profile of the Republic of Korea and contribute to the promotion of defense exports. "

By Sang-Yun, Kim < ksy0609@dema.mil.kr >

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