Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has been selected to develop the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) and Light Civil Helicopters (LCH) for the Ko...
Both the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration selected KAI as a preferred bidder for the core technology development of the LCH project and the system development of LAH project.
KAI will now establish a LCH/LAH development plan, including selection of overseas system developers as well as local and foreign vendors and will be solely responsible for the system development of those two projects.
The LCH/LAH project will develop a 4.5 ton(10,000lb) class light armed helicopter and the light civil helicopter, with a total development budget of $987 million (1 trillion won).
The LCH development will completed by 2020, earlier than the LAH.
Currently, KAI is in negotiations with major helicopter makers, Agusta Westland, Airbus, Bell, and Sikorsky to partner in the development of the LCH.
LCH is slated to replace the MD 500 utility helicopter and LAH, the Bell AH-1 attack helicopter fleet operated by South Korean Army.
KAI plans to source the LAH's fire control system technology from the international partner. LAH development will be completed by 2022.
KAI has earlier developed the 8.7 ton Surion utility helicopter with assistance from Airbus Helicopters.
