Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced on Dec. 28 that it has signed a contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration for the fourth mass-production of the 1.05 trillion won worth of Surion (KUH-1). Delivery will be completed by 2024.
KAI said that Surion is the first domestic helicopter developed by 126 domestic industrial, academic, research, and institutions in six years since June 2006 to replace the Army's aging helicopters UH-1H and 500MD. About 1.3 trillion won was spent on development.
Since it was delivered in late 2012, Surion has demonstrated its excellent performance by carrying out various air operations such as military transportation and aerial assault.
Surion has been developed into a variety of derived helicopters, including police, maritime police, forest, and firefighting, as well as helicopters dedicated to mandatory evacuation and landing, helping to protect the lives and safety of the people.
KAI also signed a PBL (Performance Based Logistics) contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to repair the KUH-1. The contract is worth 112.1 billion won.
Through this contract, KAI will be in charge of all tasks such as prediction, acquisition, transportation, delivery and repair for 1,207 items to be repaired by the Army.
"As the purchase and maintenance period of Surion helicopters is reduced for a considerable period of time, we expect to improve the operation rate and reduce operational maintenance costs," a KAI official said.