KAI eyes Navy helicopter contract

Korea Aerospace Industries said it was seeking to seal a deal to develop multimission maritime helicopters for the South Korean Navy.

It said that it had the technology to remodel the Surion utility helicopter into a naval helicopter equipped with high-functional sonar and radar systems for anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance and search and rescue operations.

“We are hoping to get the Navy to say, ‘Yes, we need Korean-made helicopters,'” a KAI official said.

KAI seeks to remodel the Surion as a multimission maritime helicopter by securing a development contract with the Korean Navy by the year’s end. (KAI)

The company has demonstrated that the helicopter’s blades can be manually folded within the standard time.

The Navy currently uses AgustaWestland’s AW159 without an automatic folding blade system.

KAI said it seeks to export its maritime helicopters to countries after sealing a deal with the Korean Navy.