Senegal buys KT-1 trainers from South Korea

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Senegal has ordered four KT-1 Woong-Bee turboprop trainer aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries, becoming the fifth customer for the type.

The agreement for the aircraft was signed on 15 July, according to South Korea’s Business Korea publication, and announced by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) four days later.

The aircraft will be delivered over a 30 month period.

A KAI official was quoted as saying the deal was facilitated by a meeting between the Presidents of South Korea and Senegal last year. KAI hopes to export KT-1s across the globe, with the Senegal deal opening up the African market.

Other operators of the KT-1 include the Republic of Korea Air Force, which received the first of 85 KT-1 basic trainers in 2000 and later 20 KA-1s, Turkish Air Force (40 aircraft), Peruvian Air Force (20) and Indonesian Air Force (17 aircraft).

Although primarily a trainer aircraft, the KT-1 can be configured for light attack missions and designated KA-1. In this guise it is fitted gun pods, bombs, rockets and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

The KT-1 is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 engine delivering 950 hp and giving a top speed of 648 km/h.