[KADEX On-site] 'Korean First Helicopter' Surion Enhances Survival and Attack Power by Carrying Drones

On the 2nd, a model of the LUH light utility helicopter by Korea Aerospace was exhibited at the 'Korea International Defense Industry Exhibition' held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) introduced its key lineup, including the Surion (KUH) and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), to domestic and international customers at the Korea International Defense Industry Exhibition (KADEX) held on the 2nd in Gyeryong-si, Chungnam.

KAI's exhibition booth attracted visitors interested in future technologies such as unmanned-manned complex systems and the Korean next-generation high-speed maneuvering helicopter (KFVL). The KFVL is being developed in both coaxial counter-rotating and tiltrotor types to meet diverse demands. With a maximum speed of 500 km/h, it offers superior maneuverability compared to the KUH (300 km/h).

KAI's KUH motion simulator provides domestic and international participants with a boarding and piloting experience similar to an actual helicopter without spatial constraints. Through the demonstration of the Smart-ATE automatic testing equipment exhibited alongside, visitors can experience the operational process from piloting to maintenance.

Particularly noteworthy was the unmanned-manned complex combat system. The core is applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology to the combat platform to enhance the precision of surveillance and reconnaissance, forming a combat system that minimizes the sacrifice of combatants while enabling more effective combat.

A KAI official stated, "Once the unmanned-manned complex system is commercialized, drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) mounted on manned aircraft piloted by pilots will perform missions together," adding, "The drones will sortie ahead of the helicopter to observe and monitor targets, sharing this information with the helicopter and control systems." As unmanned vehicles replace manned helicopters in dangerous missions such as surveillance, reconnaissance, and attack, it is expected to increase the survivability of manned pilots while enhancing offensive capabilities.

KAI is developing core technologies for rotary-wing unmanned-manned complex systems, including controlling unmanned aerial vehicles from the Surion and acquiring real-time video information.

In fact, KAI attracted attention by showcasing the next-generation air combat system (NACS), which integrates manned aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, multipurpose drones, and utilizes microsatellites and geostationary satellites, at defense exhibitions in Saudi Arabia, Poland, and Egypt held this year. In February this year, KAI decided to invest 102.5 billion KRW in developing the unmanned-manned complex system (MUM-T) for the next-generation air combat system.