[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Momentum Builds for Introduction of Large Helicopters for Special Operations

Special Operations Unit's Main Helicopter UH-60 Fully
Operational Including US Special Forces Stealth Helicopters

The Special Operations Aviation Group (hereinafter referred to as the SOAG) was reassigned from the Army Aviation Operations Command to the Special Warfare Command (SWC) in 2019. The SOAG is responsible for rapidly deploying special operations forces to operational areas, but during peacetime, it is dedicated to supporting various special operations training. Its annual training hours are three times those of regular aviation units, making it distinct from general aviation units. SOAG pilots require longer training hours because they must safely land in challenging environments such as mountain peaks or buildings, in line with the nature of special warfare missions.

The SOAG's main helicopter is the UH-60. This helicopter is modified for special operations, with a distinctive exterior. The external fuel tanks are mounted higher than those on a standard UH-60. It has been modified to enable smooth 'fast rope insertion' of special forces during operations. The helicopter's refueling system is electric rather than pneumatic, allowing for rapid deployment. Additionally, the SOAG's UH-60 is equipped with various systems suited for special operations missions, including GPS-based autopilot and infrared capabilities.

The Special Forces' first deployment was in 1968. According to the government's deployment policy at the time, 241 Special Forces soldiers were sent to the Vietnam War.

The SOAG's excellent mission performance has already been recognized in various competitions. The unit was selected as the best mobile helicopter unit at the 2021 Army Aviation Shooting Competition and received the Minister of National Defense Award. Moreover, it produced the Army's elite 300 Warriors 'Aviation Top Team' for two consecutive years from 2019 to 2020.

Within and outside the military, there are calls to introduce additional large helicopters to the SOAG to enhance operational effectiveness, especially since one existing brigade under the Special Warfare Command was reorganized into a special mission brigade tasked with executing the Kim Jong-un decapitation operation. The special mission brigade is expected to become a key core force in South Korea's three-axis defense system (Kill Chain, KAMD, KMPR), particularly in the KMPR and Kill Chain concepts, which involve massive retaliation and preemptive strikes. If signs of an imminent and serious security threat, such as the use of nuclear weapons or WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) by North Korea, are detected, the Joint Chiefs of Staff will execute a decapitation operation as part of 'massive retaliation' (KMPR) based on the decision of President Yoon Suk-yeol, the commander-in-chief of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

Foreign special forces also use various helicopters. The United States is undoubtedly the strongest in the field of special forces. The U.S. operates a massive integrated organization called the Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Units such as the Navy SEALs, Army Delta Force, and Marine Force Recon, which conduct counterterrorism operations worldwide, belong to SOCOM.

Notably, during the May 2011 operation to kill Osama bin Laden (Operation Neptune Spear), the U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6 (known as 'DEVGRU') used special operations helicopters to covertly infiltrate the site at night and successfully complete the mission. It is known that a 'stealth helicopter' undetectable by enemy radar was deployed during the operation. On the day of the operation, two U.S. military helicopters transported SEAL operators to bin Laden's hideout, but one helicopter crashed nearby, and the operators reportedly destroyed the helicopter after the mission.

The stealth helicopter differs significantly from conventional helicopters, featuring a modified tail section, noise-reducing covers on the tail rotor blades, and advanced special materials similar to those used in stealth fighter jets. In the mid-1990s, the U.S. began developing the stealth helicopter 'Comanche,' but the project was abruptly canceled in 2004 due to funding shortages and the increasing need for unmanned aerial vehicles.