Bradley Perrett covered China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. He is a Mandarin-speaking Australian.
Before joining Aviation Week in 2006 he was a macroeconomics, politics and aerospace journalist with Reuters. Perrett holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Macquarie University, Sydney. He left Aviation Week in 2020.
BEIJING and SINGAPORE – Korea Aerospace Industries appears to have secured a first export customer for its T-50 supersonic trainer, with the Indonesian government reportedly agreeing to buy the aircraft. The imminent order is part of a deepening defense industrial relationship between South Korea and Indonesia, each of which is trying to advance its ability to make advanced weapons and each of which must keep a wary eye on the rising power of China.
SINGAPORE and BEIJING — Japan is planning to issue a request for proposals (RFP) in March for new fighter aircraft under its F-X program. The country plans to order about 50 aircraft to replace its fleet of McDonnell Douglas F-4EJs. Industry executives say the defense ministry is working to get the RFP out next month so there will be enough time to evaluate proposals from vendors and come to a decision this calendar year.
Japan’s new budget airline will be independent of shareholder All Nippon Airways (ANA) and expects to operate international and domestic operations with Airbus A320s by March 2012. The operating company, provisionally called A&F Aviation, will lease 10 A320s from General Electric Capital Aviation Services, says Airbus.
