KUH-1 Makes Debut At A Ceremony Attended By That Country's President

The first utility helicopter to be developed in Korea was unveiled Wednesday the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and the Agency for Defense Development. Korean President Park Guen-hye attended the ceremony that presented the aircraft ... the KUH-1 Surion ... to the public.

KAI says that the aircraft was developed to fit into the Korean topography with the ability to hover at the  height of Baekdusan Mountain, about 9,000 feet. The all-weather aircraft allows for "stable tactical maneuvering" and is outfitted with extensive safety features, including advanced radar and missile warning systems, according to a company news release.
 
The Korean newspaper Airirang News reports that KAA developed the aircraft at a cost of more than $1 billion, and says that the aircraft could be adapted for civilian markets, as well as an attack version. The Korean army plans to deploy 20 of the aircraft by the end of the year, replacing its fleet of older Bell UH-1H and MD500 helos by 2022.

KAI developed the first prototype Surion helicopter in 2009, and the aircraft first flew in 2010. The Surion's development has been Korea's largest-scale national project, led by the KAI and The Agency for Defense Development and Korea Aerospace Research Institute. The program included 98 local vendors, 49 foreign partners and 28 college/research institutes in attendance, marking Korea's largest-scale national project.

(Image From KAI news release)

FMI: www.koreaaero.com