On Friday, September 12, 2025, the final day of the DSEI 2025 (Defence & Security Equipment International) defense and security exhibition at London’s ExCeL center, Warsaw-based company Mildat signed a multi-million-euro contract with the Turkish state-owned company MKE (Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi) for the delivery of 100,000 rounds of 20×102 mm ammunition for M197 (M61A2 Vulcan) aircraft cannons, designated for the KAI FA-50GF Fighting Eagle Block 10 light combat aircraft of the Polish Air Force.
Photos: MILMAG Archive
As MILMAG has learned, in light of recent incidents involving violations of Polish airspace, the Turkish manufacturer has declared its ability to significantly accelerate the execution of the contract and cut delivery times by up to half. It is also worth noting that the Ukrainian Armed Forces regularly employ 20 mm ammunition to counter hostile unmanned platforms.
To recall, on August 14 this year, Mildat signed a contract on this matter with the Polish Armament Agency. The procurement procedure, launched on February 7, was the third attempt to acquire ammunition for the twelve Korean aircraft and was successfully concluded on June 18.
The order covers the delivery of the following types of ammunition:
- HEI M56A3 combat rounds (MIL-C-46578, NSN 1305-00-965-0560) – 50,000 units
- TP M55A2 training rounds (MIL-C-46552, NSN 1305-00-180-9268) – 50,000 units
Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
MKE offers HEI M56A3 combat ammunition and TP M55A2 training ammunition. Both types have an overall length of 168.02 mm and a mass of approximately 258 g and 255 g, respectively (with the projectile itself weighing about 101 g and 100 g). The muzzle velocity is 1030 ± 15 m/s. The ammunition is loaded with ball propellant.
The good news is that the Korean-made aircraft will also be equipped with missile armament. On June 30 of this year, a contract worth approximately 8.5 million EUR was signed with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for the delivery of 24 AIM-9L Sidewinder combat missiles, as well as CATM-9L/I-1 training missiles. Until the AIM-9L missiles are delivered, the FA-50 aircraft will be armed with AIM-9P missiles leased from the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. The lease agreement was signed on June 24, 2025.
Korean guided bombs and AIM-9L missiles integrated with the FA-50 Block 10 in Korea / Photo by Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
There have also been reports of negotiations concerning the Korean LIG Nex1 KGGB (Korean GPS Guided Bomb).
The delivery of armaments will, among other things, enable the FA-50GF to begin combat duty next year, in line with the announcement made by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on August 20 this year during his visit to the 23rd Tactical Air Base in Mińsk Mazowiecki, where the FA-50 Simulator Training Center was inaugurated.
Polish FA-50GF aircraft are also configured to carry AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles, as well as several types of aerial bombs, including the 227-kg general-purpose Mark 82, the CBU-105 cluster bomb, and the Mk 20 Rockeye II. The total weapons payload capacity is 4.5 tons / Photo by Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG