Two ready to tango in South Korean helicopter competition
South Korea’s military has been seeking new helicopters for its special forces. Pictured above is an older CH-47D Chinook already in service. (Photo: Gordon Arthur)
Two contenders have been eagerly awaiting South Korea’s release of an RfP for a predicted quantity of 18 helicopters for the country’s special forces.
The two contenders for the Special Operations Heavy Helicopter programme are Boeing with its CH-47F Chinook and Sikorsky with the CH-53K King Stallion. Both were promoting their respective offerings at Seoul ADEX 2023.
South Korea completed a feasibility study phase last year. In April, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved the helicopter programme with a budget of KRW3.7 trillion (US$2.7 billion) from 2024–31.
John Kim, international business development for defense, space and security at Boeing Korea, said
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 1 free story per week
- Personalised news alerts
- Daily and weekly newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Air Warfare
-
UK P-8 Poseidons to get Sting Ray Mod 1 torpedoes
The UK MoD has confirmed the selection of the BAE Systems Sting Ray Mod 1 torpedo as the future torpedo capability for its P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) fleet, alongside the US Navy's Mk54 weapon.
-
Canada orders 14 Poseidon P-8A maritime patrol aircraft
Canada will purchase 14 Boeing P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft to replace its ageing CP-140 Aurora fleet, joining Australia, New Zealand, US and UK as an operator of the aircraft type.
-
Eurofighter Typhoon electronic combat aircraft set to replace German Tornadoes
Germany has given the green light to replace its Tornado ECR aircraft with Eurofighter Typhoon EK, a dedicated variant for electronic combat and SEAD.
-
Spain signs deal with Airbus for SiRTAP MALE UAS
Spain’s MoD has signed a deal with Airbus for a new multirole UAS which will be ITAR-free and primarily designed for ISTAR operations. It has been planned for service with Spain, Colombia and Serbia.
-
15 more KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuellers bound for USAF
The US Air Force has ordered more Pegasus KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuelling aircraft with advanced communications and data connectivity.