BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE
South Korea's ministry of national defence (MND) is preparing to open a planning office for its proposed (KMH) indigenous multipurpose helicopter ahead of key procurement decisions that could involve several helicopter types.
Industry officials say the KMH planning office will be opened in October to replace a programme office that has been under the South Korean army. Elevating KMH to the national level indicates the programme is on the verge of moving forward following years of delay.
The senior-level aerospace industry development policy council is expected to make a KMH decision in August. The committee will first be briefed on a Korea Development Institute feasibility study that prices several KMH options.
For now, it remains uncertain how KMH will evolve. MND is considering scrapping the proposed attack variant and developing only a utility helicopter. This could open up the potential acquisition of attack helicopters, although the proposed AH-X was removed from the US-South Korea Joint Strategic Objectives Plan recently.
Forthcoming KMH decisions will also drive several interim procurements. The first KMH will not be deployed for 10 to 15 years, but South Korea has more urgent utility helicopter needs, given its ageing Bell UH-1H and AH-1 Cobra fleets. It is also studying helicopters for assault, counter-battery, medical evacuation and mine clearance.
An agreement last month to transfer several US missions to South Korea by 2006 may add to the need for near-term helicopter procurements. Seoul will take over interdiction of North Korean special operations forces, a mission now performed by a US Army Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow squadron. Some manufacturers say South Korea needs to purchase new helicopters to meet this requirement because its Eurocopter BO105s may not be suitable.
Bell, meanwhile, is pushing upgrade packages for the UH-1H and Cobra. Other manufacturers are advocating replacements for the machines ahead of KMH, with Sikorsky pitching UH-60 Black Hawk variants. The new KMH office is expected to first define KMH and then take on a broader rotary wing role, drafting a plan for interim helicopter procurements.
Source: Flight International
