T-50 , Japan Plant
#LockheedMartin
#T_50
#Japan_Plant
Here’s what is known about the Lockheed Martin T‑50 Golden Eagle and any connection to a Japanese production facility:
T‑50 Golden Eagle: An Overview
The T‑50, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in partnership with Lockheed Martin, is a supersonic advanced jet trainer. It first flew in 2002 and entered service with the Republic of Korea Air Force in 2005 .
Variants include the TA‑50 light attack version and FA‑50 light combat aircraft, equipped with more advanced avionics and weapon systems .
The program was launched under the KTX‑2 initiative, funded primarily by South Korea (70%) and supported by Lockheed Martin (13%) and KAI (17%) .
#JapanPlant
Is There a Japanese T‑50 Production Plant?
T‑50 manufacturing plant in Japan. The T‑50 is fully developed and produced by KAI in South Korea, with support from Lockheed Martin.
All assembly and production take place in South Korea  .
Lockheed Martin and KAI have explored expanded collaboration (e.g. export programs and broader defense projects), but not establishing production in Japan for the T‑50 or its variants .
Japan’s Domestic and Collaborative Aircraft Programs
Japan currently operates combat aircraft like the Mitsubishi F‑2, built jointly with Lockheed Martin, where Japan contributes about 60% of manufacturing under a co-production setup .
Japan is also actively developing its next-generation fighter under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) alongside the UK and Italy, replacing the F‑2 by 2035; Lockheed Martin had earlier proposed a hybrid F‑22/F‑35 concept, but Japan opted for domestic-led development in partnership with European allies .
For the F‑35A, Japan has a manufacturing facility in Nagoya, where final assembly and flight checks of F‑35s are carried out, but this is unrelated to the T‑50 program .
Summary
Question Answer
Is the T‑50 built in Japan? No — all development and production under KAI occurs in South Korea.
Does Japan host a T‑50 plant?
Japanese manufacturing facility for T‑50 exists.
Lockheed Martin involvement in Japan?
LM collaborates extensively with Japan on the F‑2, F‑35, and broader programs, but not the T‑50.
The T‑50 Golden Eagle remains fully developed and produced by KAI in partnership with Lockheed Martin, but no Japanese production plant exists for it.
Japan’s aerospace collaborations with Lockheed Martin center around platforms like the F‑2, F‑35, and the future GCAP development initiative — not the T‑50 series.
If you’re curious about specifics regarding the F‑2 or GCAP collaboration or Japan’s aviation industry partnerships, I’d be glad to dive into that next.
