Lockheed Martin completed the initial flight test of its T-50A configured aircraft last week in South Korea, according to a company press release. The T-50A is the upgraded version of the T-50 developed some years ago in cooperation with Korea Aerospace Industries, and is the company’s aircraft offering in the U.S. Air Force’s T-X Advanced Pilot Training (APT) competition.

“The aircraft in its new configuration with the 5^th Gen cockpit and other upgrades performed flawlessly,” said Mark Ward, Lockheed Martin T-50A lead test pilot, after his flight in Sacheon, South Korea. “I have no doubt this aircraft will close the gap which currently exists between the trainer fleet and 5^th generation fighters.”

Lockheed Martin says the T-50A is the only offering that meets all APT requirements, and can deliver the required capabilities at the lowest risk to the Air Force due to employing the low-risk T-50 as its basis.

The T-50A is based on proven T-50 “Golden Eagle” variants flown by the Republic of Korea armed forces. More than 100 T-50s are flying today, with more than 100,000 flight hours accumulated and 1,000 pilots trained.

The T-50A configuration is based on South Korea’s FA-50, according to Lockheed Martin. The FA-50, currently in production, is the most advanced version of the T-50, incorporating air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, avionics that include an electronic warfare suite, a multi-mode radar, and an advanced data-link.

Lockheed Martin says the T-50A is the only offering that meets all APT requirements, and can deliver the required capabilities at the lowest risk to the Air Force due to employing the low-risk T-50 as its basis. The T-50A features digital fly-by-wire flight controls, with NextGen air traffic management systems, and an anthropometrically designed 5th Generation cockpit, as well as flight-refueling capability.

The company is standing up a T-50A Final Assembly and Checkout site in Greenville, South Carolina.