The Bangladesh Air Force may purchase the KT-1 trainers from South Korea according the South Korean media.
Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) held a promotional event in Sacheon, 440 km south of Seoul yesterday (18/06/2020). The event was attended by representatives from 16 countries including China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Laos and the Philippines.
Speaking to the media Bangladesh’s ambassador to South Korea H.E. Abida Islam said Bangladesh will consider placing an order for the KT-1 training aircraft.
KAI has exported a total of 148 trainer jets worth US$3.1 billion — 64 T-50 advanced trainer jets worth $2.4 billion and 84 KT-1 basic trainer jets worth $700 million — to countries such as Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey, Peru and the Philippines since its foundation in 1999.
The Bangladesh Air Force intends to purchase 24 primary training aircraft to augment some 60 PT-6 trainers that are currently in service with its Air Force Academy in Jashore.
A tender has been prepared in relation to the purchase program by Air Headquarters in Dhaka. It will be published closer to the end of the year.
The mean ticket price of the KT-1 is indicated to be roughly $8.5 million per unit suggesting the Bangladesh Air Force would have to spend $200 million on the package.
Other aircraft such as the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) Hurkus A-/B are also in the running alongside the Serbian built UTVA Lasta 95.
The KAI KT-1 may edge out the other competitors as the South Korean government is expected to finance the Bangladesh Air Force purchase through a Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement.
The Bangladesh Air Force is expected to obtain some level of Transfer of Technology (ToT) for any basic training aircraft it purchases similar to the PT-6, which its MRO unit can fully maintain independent of Chinese assistance.
The KT-1 primary trainer has been exported to Indonesia, Peru, Senegal and Turkey. South Korea operates at least 85 KT-1 basic trainers and 20 KA-1 attack aircraft whilst the Turkish Air Force uses 40 KT-1Ts.
Technical specifications for KT-1 primary trainer:
| Origin | South Korea |
| Type | Primary training aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) |
| First flight | November 1991 |
| Introduction | 2000 |
| Unit cost | $US 7+ million |
| Crew | 2 |
| Length | 10.26 m |
| Wingspan | 10.59 m |
| Height | 3.68 m |
| Wing area | 16.01 m2 |
| Aspect ratio | 7 |
| Empty weight | 1,910 kg |
| Gross weight | 2,540 kg |
| Maximum fuel weight | 3,311 kg with external stores; 3,205 kg training/utility role; 2,540 kg aerobatic role |
| Fuel capacity | 551 L |
| Powerplant | 1 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 turboprop engine, 708 kW |
| Propellers | 4-bladed Hartzell HC-E4N-2/E9512CB-1, 2.44 m constant speed fully feathering reversible propeller |
| Maximum speed | 518 km/h at 4,570 m |
| Maximum operating speed | 574 km/h |
| Stall speed | 132 km/h |
| Never exceed speed | 648 km/h |
| Range | 1,333 km at 6,100 m with maximum internal and external fuel with 30 minutes reserve |
| Ferry range | 2,070 km at 6,100 m with maximum internal fuel and 30 minutes reserve |
| Service ceiling | 11,580 km |
| G limits | +7 -3.5; +4.5 -2.3 with external stores |
| Rate of climb | 17.78 m/s at sea level |
| Wing loading | 206.8 kg/m2 with external stores; 200.2 kg/m2 training/utility; 158.7 kg/m2 aerobatic |
| Power/mass | 0.2137 Kw/kg with external stores; 0.221 Kw/kg training/utility; 0.2785 kW/kg aerobatic |
| Armament | Provision for practice bomb carrier on four underwing pylons |
| Avionics | VHF/UHF, IFF, intercom, ELT (optional), AHRS, TacAN, VOR/ILS (optional) |
