South Korea: Christening T-50 Golden Eagle To A-50 Monster Eagle As Tank Killer

South Korea: Christening T-50 Golden Eagle To A-50 Monster Eagle As Tank Killer

(NSI News Source Info) February 5, 2009: South Korea is buying 82 U.S. 20mm automatic gun systems for the A-50 (the attack version of its T-50 jet trainer).

The three barrel rotating barrel 20mm gun carries 204 rounds and can fire them at the rate of up to 3,000 rounds per minute.

The T-50 Golden Eagle is a South Korean supersonic advanced trainer and light attack jet, developed by the Korean Aerospace Industries beginning in the late-1990s. The T-50 is South Korea's first indigenous supersonic aircraft and the world's only high-performance supersonic trainer in production. Currently, KAI is upgrading its four prototypes of the T-50 Golden Eagle trainer to advanced light fighters designated FA-50.

That provides the pilot with about four seconds worth of fire. The system experiences one jam every 9,000 rounds fired. The system weighs 300 pounds and the current model has been in service since 2004. The A-50 is a 13 ton aircraft that is basically an armed version of the T-50 supersonic jet trainer.

South Korea: Christening T-50 Golden Eagle to A-50 Monster Eagle as Tank Killer with 20mm automatic gun systems the attack version.

The T-50 was designed to service as both a trainer and a combat aircraft. Deliveries of the 20mm gun systems will begin next year.