Expanding on what was agreed with MBDA toward the end of 2023, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has announced that it will broaden the weapons suite of the FA-50 light fighter thanks to the integration of Meteor and MICA air-to-air missiles, also paving the way for subsequent integration into future KAI KF-21 Boramae fighters. According to officials from the aforementioned South Korean company, this seeks to be a move that provides greater autonomy to the platform in light of the difficulties in obtaining the necessary licenses to operate the U.S.-made AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, arguing that this is a process slowed by tighter controls on arms exports.
In a cautious tone when referring to the issue, a KAI representative stated to local media: “While integration of the AIM-120 AMRAAM is currently our priority due to the strong interest from numerous countries, we are addressing several administrative requirements. We also do not rule out the possibility of integrating alternatives such as the Meteor and the MICA.” This quickly aroused suspicions pointing to the determination to move forward with the acquisition of these weapons from MBDA, considering that beyond-visual-range air-to-air capability constitutes a key aspect for the development of South Korean fighters, as well as for those international clients that have added them to their fleets.
It is worth recalling at this point that KAI’s FA-50s have established themselves as an affordable alternative for countries such as Poland and Malaysia, which already have 48 and 18 units on order respectively; this reflects significant commercial success for the company beyond the more than 100 aircraft in service with the South Korean Air Force. However, its capability as a light fighter has been limited by the availability solely of short-range missiles derived from the AIM-9 Sidewinder model, which implies restricting its role to little more than self-defense rather than expanding it toward more complex operations in hostile environments. With the arrival of the Meteor and MICA, these capabilities would undoubtedly be enhanced, while also diversifying the current weapons supply chain.
If we briefly review the technical capabilities of the Meteor missile, it is worth highlighting that it is a weapon with a range of between 100 and 200 kilometers under optimal conditions, which it achieves thanks to its high-thrust ramjet propulsion system. Each unit weighs about 190 kilograms and measures approximately 3.7 meters in length, within which are contained an inertial guidance system and an active radar seeker, as well as a data link with the deploying aircraft to improve trajectory accuracy against the target. These characteristics have earned it a place in various European fleets, which have incorporated the Meteor into their F-35 Lightning II, Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, and Saab JAS 39 Gripen aircraft.
Turning to the MICA missiles, it can be mentioned that they are presented as short- to medium-range weapons (with maximum ranges between 60 and 80 kilometers), weighing around 112 kilograms and measuring 3.1 meters in length. This is a weapon that already forms part of the arsenal of the aforementioned Rafale and also the Dassault Mirage 2000models, standing out, among other things, for being able to feature passive infrared guidance systems that make defense by the enemy more difficult, while also displaying advanced aerodynamics that facilitate strong maneuverability performance; reaching up to 50 g according to reports.
Finally, it is worth emphasizing that MBDA also presents a range of alternatives that could further consolidate the capabilities of the aircraft developed by KAI looking ahead to the future, namely the Brimstone and SPEAR 3 missiles. In both cases, these are products already considered in the commitments that both companies adopted in 2023, which would represent greater firepower against enemy targets located on land and at sea. Even back then, KAI officials stated: “In recent times, global demand for diverse weaponry has grown. We will work with MBDA to propose improved national combat aircraft to our customers.”
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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