Korea Aerospace Industries will develop about 12 F-16/KF-16 fighter flight simulators and unit training devices, and upgrade existing simulation systems under a $106m contract from South Korea’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA).

The simulators will support training for tactical flight, emergency landing, and normal landing and take-off.

The new systems will help the air force resolve flight training shortages due to the high cost of the fuel needed to fly training missions.

The systems will enter mass production after the upgrade and development of the simulators are complete by 2014.