South Korea Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)
KT-1 Woongbi
South Korea's indigenous single-engine turboprop basic trainer, developed by KAI and in production since the late 1990s. The KT-1 is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop of roughly 950 shaft horsepower and serves as the primary trainer of the Republic of Korea Air Force, with exports to Indonesia, Turkey (as the KT-1T), Peru and Senegal. The armed KT-1C export variant adds a forward-looking infrared pod and hardpoints for a 12.7mm gun pod, rockets, training missiles and unguided bombs for light-attack and lead-in fighter training roles.
In service since 2000 · 5 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-16
574
km/h
1,333
km range
Pricing: In production; ROK Air Force plus exports to Indonesia, Turkey, Peru and Senegal
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
ROK export-licensed
DAPA-administered; aggressive export posture with financing/offset packages.
Channel: Government-to-government
Fielded & proven
Established · 5 operators
In service since 2000. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 574 km/h |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 1,333 km |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 10.3 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 10.6 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 3.7 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 1,910 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 2,540 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 2 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 turboprop |
|---|---|
| Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster. | 950 hp |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turboprop |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 5 |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-16.
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What is the top speed of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi has a maximum speed of 574 km/h.
What is the range of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi has a maximum range of 1,333 km.
How much does the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi weigh? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi has a combat weight of 2,540 kg.
How many crew does the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi require? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi requires a crew of 2.
What engine does the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi use? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 turboprop.
What is the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi used for? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi is a trainer & light attack typically used for training, close air support.
How many countries operate the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi is operated by 5 countries.
How much does the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi cost? +
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 Woongbi: In production; ROK Air Force plus exports to Indonesia, Turkey, Peru and Senegal. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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