[Exclusive] Korean Air Wins 1 Trillion Won 'Black Hawk' Upgrade Contract [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Defense Acquisition Program Administration to Select Preferred Negotiation Partner by End of This Month

Korean Air has succeeded in winning a contract worth approximately 1 trillion won to upgrade the 'Black Hawk' (UH/HH-60) helicopters, surpassing Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). This project involves improving the airframe structure and digitizing the avionics systems of Black Hawks introduced in the 1990s. A total of 961.3 billion won will be invested to upgrade the performance of 36 helicopters.

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk multipurpose helicopter

On April 23, a government official stated, "In the proposal evaluation for the helicopter upgrade project, Korean Air received a higher score than Korea Aerospace Industries and was awarded the contract." The official added, "The Defense Acquisition Program Administration plans to select a preferred negotiation partner by the end of this month after conducting on-site inspections of the proposals."

The military currently operates 139 UH-60 helicopters (113 in the Army, 8 in the Navy, and 18 in the Air Force). As the UH-60s introduced in the 1990s have aged, the military has been pursuing a performance upgrade project since 2013, but it has been repeatedly delayed. The core of the project includes the installation of a missile warning system, forward-looking sensors (EO/IR), and embedded GPS/INS (EGI) equipment. The UH-60 helicopters used by the Army for special operations also lack these systems. As a result, it has been impossible to counter North Korea's anti-aircraft missile systems, and precision navigation operations have been limited during nighttime and under restricted weather conditions.

The operational rate has also declined due to aging. Most of the UH-60 special operations helicopters are over 30 years old, and some replacement parts are no longer produced, requiring custom manufacturing that takes a significant amount of time. It has been pointed out that urgent measures are needed, as the average operational rate of these helicopters has sharply decreased by more than 10% over the past five years.

Korean Air, which won the performance upgrade project, is recognized for its comprehensive technological expertise and professionalism in the production, modification, and maintenance of the UH-60. The company began domestic production of the UH-60 in 1990 and has successfully delivered over 130 units to the military. Korean Air currently also performs depot maintenance (MRO) for the UH-60s operated by the Korean military. Depot maintenance (MRO) is the highest level of maintenance, involving the complete disassembly, inspection, and repair of each part to restore the aircraft to its original performance. For aircraft, this refers to a series of tasks including maintenance, repair, and overhaul.

Korean Air will be responsible for the performance upgrade in partnership with domestic defense company LIG Nex1. Korean Air will handle system integration, design, testing, and delivery, while LIG Nex1 will be in charge of developing the communication and navigation systems and upgrading the cockpit. Korean Air has also partnered with Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of the US defense company Raytheon (RTX). Collins Aerospace specializes in systems and manufacturing for military aircraft and the aerospace sector, and is engaged in various fields such as avionics, mechanical parts, power, control, and mission systems. Notably, the company was responsible for the digital cockpit upgrade and other performance enhancements for the MH-60, the special operations variant of the US military's UH-60.