South Korea inks $1 billion deal for new attack helicopters
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has annoucned that it has signed a 1.4 trillion won ($1.08 billion) contract with the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to build new attack helicopters for the National Army.
The deal dictates that KAI will supply the Army with Light Attack Helicopters (LAHs) by the fourth quarter of 2025.
As per the official company announcement, these LAHs, crafted with indigenous technologies, are slated to replace the aging fleet of MD-500 and AH-1S Cobra helicopters, as revealed in the company’s recent statement.
The initiative by KAI extends beyond mere replacement, aiming to diversify helicopter variants. Alongside the LAHs, there are plans to develop specialized armored helicopters tailored for special operations and command-and-control helicopters based on LAH technologies.
In a notable development, last December saw KAI sealing a 300 billion-won contract with DAPA to commence the production of LAHs for the Army, with deliveries scheduled to initiate by late 2024. This continuous stream of contracts underscores KAI’s pivotal role in fortifying the national defense arsenal.
