[Exclusive] Surion Likely to Sign First Export Contract Next Month

Importing Country Evaluation Team Begins Testing at Army Base Today
Contract Expected to Be Signed in Dubai Early Next Month

The first export contract for the domestically produced utility helicopter (KUH-1) ‘Surion’ is expected to be signed as early as next month. The target is a Middle Eastern country. Since early this year, the Army Aviation Commander and the Minister of National Defense have visited Korea, expressing active intentions to procure, and it is known that an official letter for final import was sent in mid-month.

On the 27th, the Surion, the first domestically developed utility helicopter, is landing at the media day for the 71st Armed Forces Day celebration held at Daegu Air Force Base. Photo by Kim Hyun-min, Daegu kimhyun81@

According to a government official on the 21st, a nine-member evaluation team from the Middle Eastern country arrived yesterday. They will conduct a three-day evaluation of the Surion starting today at the Army Medical Evacuation Aviation Unit. This evaluation will test various performance conditions requested by the importing country. The government expects that if the evaluation proceeds smoothly, the contract will be signed in Dubai as early as next month.

With Indonesia and Thailand also showing interest in the Surion, if this contract is finalized, it will be the first export case of the Surion. It will be 11 years since it was commissioned by our military. The Surion was developed under the supervision of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), receiving design and technology from Airbus, with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) involved in development, and was commissioned in 2013. Over 250 units have been produced to date. It is operated not only for military use but also in various derivative models for police, coast guard, firefighting, and forestry purposes.

The Surion attempted export to the Philippines in 2019 but failed to finalize the deal when the U.S. promised to provide 16 UH-60 Black Hawks at the price of 10 Surions during the final negotiation stage. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has focused on aggressive marketing for Surion exports, including displaying the actual aircraft and conducting demonstration flights at defense exhibitions in the Middle East.

The biggest advantages of the Surion are its high reliability and excellent performance. The Surion can perform various support missions such as personnel and cargo airlift in high-altitude areas and can hover at an altitude of up to 2,700 meters. This enables it to carry out high-difficulty precision cargo airlift missions. It is equipped with a 4-axis automatic flight control system and digital powertrain. Its engine surplus power is high, making it advantageous for flights in hot desert terrains or mountainous regions. This is why Middle Eastern countries are interested.