A South Korean army helicopter was destroyed when an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) crashed into it while attempting to land.
The accident occurred on 17 March at an army base in Yangju, when the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron UAV crashed into a Korea Aerospace Industries KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter, according to South Korean media reports.
The UAV was attempting to land, while the helicopter was parked. There were no injuries during the accident, but the helicopter burned for 20min and was destroyed.
Reports indicate that the Heron was one of three examples obtained by Seoul. One Heron crashed in November 2024, apparently due to jamming from North Korea, and the third is grounded due to maintenance issues.
An investigation will look into the accident.
Separately, on 13 March two Republic of Korea Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 pilots were charged for their accidental bombing of a village on 6 March during an exercise, which saw 29 injured.
The pilots apparently entered incorrect coordinates into their aircraft systems, resulting in eight 227kg (500lb) Mk82 bombs hitting a village.
