[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Will Small Armed Helicopters Realize the Dream of Domestic Weapons?

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] Attention is focused on whether the domestically produced Surion helicopter will take to the skies again. Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) delivered two medical evacuation helicopters (KUH-1M) based on the Surion to the Army last month, and on the 5th of this month, it additionally delivered three police helicopters, Chamsuri (KUH-1P), to the National Police Agency, raising expectations for further deliveries of derivative helicopters.

The Surion helicopter derivatives are divided into military helicopters and public service helicopters. Military helicopters include Army utility helicopters, dedicated medical evacuation helicopters, and Marine Corps amphibious utility helicopters. Public service helicopters include police helicopters, firefighting helicopters, and forestry helicopters.

Deliveries of public service Surion derivatives have struggled to find a foothold due to low-price bidding and inconsistent bidding regulations. Foreign-made helicopters used by domestic public institutions are currently varied. The police operate six types, the Coast Guard five types, the Korea Forest Service four types, and firefighting agencies ten types of foreign-made helicopters. Among the 115 helicopters owned by domestic demand agencies, only seven are Surion. Since domestic public institutions do not conduct a unified helicopter procurement project at the central headquarters but contract separately by region, bidding standards vary. For example, the firefighting headquarters excluded bids by requiring a basic specification of a cruising range of over 700 km.

The low-price bidding method is also problematic. Among foreign-made helicopters used by public institutions, the Russian-made Kamov-32 (KA-32) is the most common with 43 units. The reason for the widespread use of the Kamov-32 is that its unit price is about 10 billion KRW, roughly half that of the Surion. If the low-price bidding method continues, the Surion cannot win against the Kamov-32 in the bidding market. However, the Kamov-32 requires replacing entire modules for parts replacement, leading to increasing maintenance costs. This is why there are calls for introducing a highest-value bidding system that comprehensively considers maintenance and performance in addition to the purchase price.

Some voices suggest unifying the types of helicopters used by the military to reduce parts interchange and maintenance costs. Currently, the Army plans to replace UH-1H helicopters, 500MD, Bo-105, and Cobra helicopters with the domestically produced Surion helicopter and the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) under development.

The aging of Army helicopters is already at a serious level. The oldest UH-1H utility helicopter was introduced in 1966 and has been active for 51 years. The 500MD will be operated until 2031. The LAH, which is being developed to replace the 500MD with a goal of completion by the end of 2022, will deliver its first production unit only by the end of 2024. The introduction is expected to be completed by 2031. Even if the latest model of the 500MD is operated until 2031, it means using it for 44 years.

As aging helicopters approach retirement, budgets for equipment maintenance are not being allocated. According to the Military Supplies Management Training Article 34, repair parts budgets for equipment to be retired due to aging are minimized for new purchases, and unless there are special reasons, budgets are not allocated starting five years before the equipment is completely retired. Essentially, this means not purchasing repair parts and not operating the equipment according to regulations. In fact, no repair parts budget was allocated for the UH-1H.

As aging becomes severe, there are also concerns that delays in LAH development should be avoided. If development is delayed, additional purchases of the large attack helicopter AH-64 Apache may be made, which would inevitably reduce the number of LAHs introduced.

KAI began LAH development in June 2015 and completed the first prototype's maiden flight test last year. KAI plans to focus on testing the LAH's flight performance and weapon operation capabilities according to military requirements for about three years until the second half of 2022. Following this, it will conduct follow-up tests to verify the operation of air-to-ground guided missiles, machine guns, rockets, and other armaments, aiming to complete system development by November 2022.

KAI started LAH development in June 2015, completed basic design in August 2016, detailed design in November 2017, and unveiled the first prototype last December. The LAH is equipped with advanced avionics and a new 1,032-horsepower engine. It is being developed as a helicopter with significantly upgraded armament capabilities compared to currently operated armed helicopters, and the company expects it to contribute to strengthening our military's air power in the future.