LAH, First Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launch Scheduled for Early Next Year

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Last January, the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) was deployed in a simulated battle at the Army Science Combat Training Center (KCTC). Equipped with MILES gear capable of laser-target shooting, it participated in the combat exercise. The LAH roamed the battlefield for 1 hour and 30 minutes, destroying 21 tanks, vehicles, and equipment. The results surprised even military officials at the time.

The LAH is also preparing for a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) system. The military expects this to become a core maneuver strike strategy in future warfare, where troop numbers are reduced due to demographic decline. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) plans to attach unmanned aerial vehicles to ground weapon test equipment and conduct launches as early as the first half of next year. KAI anticipates that by reducing the armament on the LAH, it will be able to carry up to eight unmanned drones.

This MUM-T concept is also being practically applied by foreign militaries. A representative example is the combination of the attack helicopter AH-64 Apache and the armed reconnaissance and surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle MQ-1C Gray Eagle. According to the operational concept, the Gray Eagle arrives at the operational area before the Apache, collecting various information about the area and transmitting it to the Apache in real time. Based on the transmitted information, the Apache can pre-plan the mission, deciding whether to infiltrate the operational area directly or attack from a rear position, enabling safer mission execution. Especially when ground targets need to be attacked, the Apache can either directly attack based on the transmitted target information or, if the area cannot guarantee the Apache’s survival, the armed Gray Eagle can conduct the attack itself. This not only enhances pilot survivability on the battlefield but also prevents the loss of expensive combat aircraft, significantly reducing war costs.