Korea Maritime Helicopters programs

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Bell Textron Inc., a U.S. aerospace manufacturer, announced its bid to sell attack helicopters to South Korea on Wednesday as the country's Marine Corps plans to launch an aviation wing next year.
Bell Textron said its AH-1Z Viper with anti-armor and air-to-air missile capabilities can engage in and defeat "the broadest array of threats" in "any environment on land or sea."

"Bell has had a long relationship with the Korean industry as a supplier of critical aircraft components," Vince Tobin, the Executive Vice President of Military Business at Bell, said during a virtual press conference.

"Today, with the new AH-1Z, Bell hopes to extend its relationship with Korea into the next generation," he added.
South Korea is currently mulling over whether to develop an armed version of the country's mobile helicopter or to buy attack choppers from abroad.
In October, Marine Corps commandant Lt. Gen. Lee Seung-do said they want aircraft that are currently used for attack purposes, not an armed version of a MUH-1 Marineon, the Marine variant of South Korea's KUH-1 Surion helicopter.

Ret. Lt. Gen. George Trautman, a former deputy commandant for aviation at U.S. Marine Corps, said South Korea's deployment of Viper will improve efficiency in the two countries' combined operations based on the aircraft's interoperability.
The U.S. Marine Corps has agreed to buy 189 Viper aircraft with production to continue through 2022, Bell Textron said.

This undated photo, provided by Bell Textron Inc., shows its AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

This undated photo, provided by Bell Textron Inc., shows its AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

Nilgiri

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According to ROK Navy sources, the “Romeos” will be deployed aboard the future surface combatants of the ROK Navy, namely the KDX III Batch 2 Aegis destroyers as well as the FFX Batch III frigates.

(more at link)
 

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South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) today issued a statement announcing that it has selected Sikorsky's MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopter for the ROK Navy's MOH Batch 2 requirement.​


or the record, DAPA issued the procurement process for the Maritime Operation Helicopter (MOH) batch 2 program in May 2019. The bids were due by mid-August while the winner could be announced by the end of the year.


The announcement published today on the DAPA website reads:

The Marine Operational Helicopter Batch 2 program is a project to secure maritime operational helicopters with anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare capabilities through overseas purchase to improve the long-distance surface and underwater detection and attack capabilities of naval vessels. The MH-60R was selected for the 2nd maritime helicopter project, and the contract is expected to be concluded within this year.
Project period: ’17~’25 years, total project cost: about 960 billion won

DAPA statement

As we reported previously, the United States’ State Department approved in August last year a possible Foreign Military Sale to South Korea of 12 MH-60R Multi-Mission helicopters for an estimated cost of $800 million.


The MOH Batch 2 programme calls for the procurement of 12 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters for the RoK Navy for a value of about $800 million. Naval News understand that three designs that were competing were:

  • Leonardo / AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat
  • NHIndustries NH90 Nato Frigate Helicopter (NFH)
  • Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo

Eight AW159 Wildcat have been procured by the ROK Navy as part of the MOH Batch 1 tender. Leonardo was initially named the preferred bidder for MOH Batch 2 but the acquisition process was restarted because DAPA’s procurement rules stipulates that a single-source contract is only permissible after two failed open tenders.

Read More: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/12/south-korea-selects-mh-60r-helicopter-for-rok-navy/
 

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Korea Aerospace Industries, better known as KAI, has released concept images of its new variant of MUH-1 helicopter that company developed to enhance the ability which the Marine Corps carries out the multi-dimensional high-speed land and take-off operations.

South Korean aerospace giant has disclosed view of new MUH-1 Marineon variant armed with guided missiles, air-to-air missiles, 70mm rocket pods, and a 20mm gun.

The MUH-1, or Marine Utility Helicopter, is the Surion-variant Amphibious helicopter. It has a 96 percent part commonality with the Surion. Modifications include an integrated flotation system, auxiliary fuel tank, and specialized radio equipment.


The new helciopter also has a folding main rotor to serve aboard Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships.

The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is currently in the process of acquiring 24 attack helicopters as part of its Marine Attack Helicopter program.

Ekran görüntüsü 2021-02-12 134411.jpg
Ekran görüntüsü 2021-02-12 134423.jpg


 

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The U.S. Navy awarded a deal to Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin Corp. for 12 MH-60R SeaHawk helicopters for the Republic of Korea (South Korea) with a price tag of about $447,2 million.

According to an Apr. 12 contract award announcement by the U.S. Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $447,2 million firm-fixed-price order for new-build MH-60R SeaHawk helicopters.

Also reported that work will be performed in Owego, New York (52%); Stratford, Connecticut (40%); and Troy, Alabama (8%), and is expected to be completed in December 2024. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.


In addition, earlier in December 2020, the South Korean Defense Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) has reported that the MH-60R SeaHawk helicopter was chosen as the winner of the long-awaited Maritime Operational Helicopter-II program.

According to a press release issued 15 Dec. by DAPA, a total of 12 MH-60R helicopters will be delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy by 2025, boosting anti-submarine warfare capability.

As noted by Lockheed Martin, MH-60R is the most capable naval helicopter available today designed to operate from frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers.

 

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South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 26 April that the country is planning to develop an indigenous attack helicopter to meet a Republic of Korea Marine Corps (RoKMC) requirement for 20–24 such rotorcraft.

The country’s Defense Project Promotion Committee decided that the development and acquisition project, which has been provisionally budgeted at KRW1.6 trillion (USD1.44 billion), is expected to begin in 2022 and be completed by 2031, according to DAPA.

The aircraft is aimed at enhancing the service’s amphibious assault capabilities, particularly in the north-western islands near the inter-Korean border, by providing aerial fire support, among other things. The helicopter must be compatible for operations alongside the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) MUH-1 Marineon helicopter, which is already in RoKMC service.

No further details were provided. However, the announcement comes after a year-long study by DAPA’s Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ) concluded that procuring a locally developed platform capable of operating from the RoK Navy’s (RoKN’s) amphibious assault ships would be more cost-effective than acquiring a foreign-made one.

Bidding for the programme began in January 2019 with five companies participating: Bell Textron (proposing its AH-1Z Viper), Boeing (AH-64E Apache Guardian), Turkish Aerospace (T-129 ATAK), Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky (S-70i), and KAI Surion Marine Attack Helicopter (MAH). KAI was the only South Korean company in the bidding process.

A scale model of KAI’s Surion MAH was displayed for the first time at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX) in October 2019.

 

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On April 26, South Korea's Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) officially announced that the attack variant of the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) Marineon had been selected as the Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC)’s future attack helicopter.​

Juho Lee 02 May 2021

The results echo those of preliminary studies which also recommended the acquisition of armed Marineons.

The program, which will cost ₩1.6 billion ($1.4 billion) from 2022 to 2031, is part of a much larger acquisition plan to create the ROKMC’s first ever air wing, composed of a squadron of 24 attack helicopters and two squadrons of regular Marine-on transport utility helicopters. The air wing will primarily operate from the Republic of Korea Navy’s Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships.

KAI’s Marineon is itself a navalized variant of the KAI Surion, the nation’s first domestically designed helicopter. The Marineon has a turbulent history; the ROKMC’s entire Marineon fleet was grounded in late 2018, following an accident which saw the death of five service members. KAI claims that issues with the rotor mast which led to the accident have since been resolved.

The program originally included four other contenders; the Boeing AH-64 Apache Guardian, the Bell AH1Z Viper, the Tukrish Aerospace Industries/AugustaWestland T129, and an armed variant of the Sikorsky S-70i.

Many domestic observers have criticized the choice; outspoken critics include the 19th Commandant of the ROK Marines Corps, Lieutenant General Lee Seung-do, whose tenure came to an end on April 13. He was quoted as saying “the Marines Corps does not want an armed variant of the Marineon, but an attack helicopter that is maneuverable and survivable,” to the National Defense Committee last October.

What exactly are the critics worried about?​

The crux of the argument is that the armed Marineon will lack the combat effectiveness of other dedicated attack helicopters.

  • Firstly, critics point out that the aircraft will be more vulnerable to enemy fire due to the shape of the airframe. Because the Marineon was originally designed to be a transport helicopter, the airframe is wider than its competitors, making it more vulnerable to small arms fire.
  • Secondly, the cockpit offers less visibility compared to dedicated attack helicopters. In the Marine-on, the copilot sits next to the pilot, as opposed to the twin seat design of the Apache or Viper which allows the copilot to sit behind the pilot. Some worry this will impede situational awareness during close air support missions.
  • Thirdly, the Marineon is significantly slower and less maneuverable than its major competitors, clocking in at a maximum speed of 279km/h, as opposed to 293km/h and 300km/h of the Apache and Viper respectively. Lastly, the average cost of the armed Marine-on is expected to exceed ₩37 billion ($33 million), less than the Apache, but more than the Viper which costs $31 million. This would mean that the Marine-on would offer limited capabilities at a higher price.

Marineon meets all Required Operational Capabilities of the ROKMC​

Despite these worries, DAPA claims the armed Marineon was able to meet all Required Operational Capabilities outlined by the ROKMC. It will carry a total of eight Hanwha Techwin “Cheon-geom (천검)” anti-tank missiles and 38 unguided 2.75 inch rockets on pylons mounted at the side of the aircraft, along with an M197 electric cannon below the cockpit. It will also be armed with four air-to-air variants of the LIG Nex1 Chiron missiles. Additional upgrades include extra armour, a self-sealing fuel tank, and a helmet mounted display being designed for use on the KAI Light Attack Helicopter program which will attenuate the problem of low visibility.

Even when fully loaded, the take-off weight of the armed Marineon will be around 6700kg, significantly less than the Marineon’s standard operational take-off weight of the 7800kg. This means that the armed Marineon will be agile enough to provide support to the Marineon (MUH-1 troop transport variant) during landing operations, despite its relatively slow speed compared to dedicated attack helicopters. DAPA also cited the Marineon’s interoperability with domestically designed unmanned platforms, such as the KAI NI-600VT, and the positive effect the program will have on the domestic economy as reasons behind its choice.

Moreover, KAI claims the armed Marineon will be the cheapest option in the long term. The armed variant shares 84% commonality with the regular Marineon already operated by the Marine Corps. It is hoped that this will lead to high mission readiness rates and lower life cycle maintenance costs. In addition to this, the Marine Corps will not have to devote resources to creating a separate pilot training program, reducing costs even further.

 

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South Korea will fund the indigenous development of an attack helicopter to support amphibious attacks, and aims to replace its fleet of ageing Boeing CH-47D Chinooks.

Seoul will spend W450 billion ($376 million) on a “Amphibious Attack Helicopter Project” through domestic research and development, said South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) on 27 December 2021.

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Source: Greg Waldron/FlightGlobal
KAI promoted armed concepts of the KUH-1 Surion at 2019’s Seoul ADEX show


The programme will run from 2022-2026, to create a helicopter that can “cover aerial assault forces and reinforce the air firepower support capabilities of ground combat units during amphibious operations”.

In addition, the programme is envisaged as boosting the country’s technological base and creating jobs.

In April 2021, DAPA had said that W1.6 trillion would be spent developing and fielding an indigenous attack helicopter for South Korea’s marines, with the programme to run until 2031.

South Korea’s marines had been in the market for 24 attack helicopters capable of operating from the navy’s pair of Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency has reported that the new attack helicopter will be based on the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter. The type already has a marine variant, the MUH-1 Marineon. KAI promoted armed versions of the rotorcraft at the 2019 and 2021 iterations of the Seoul ADEX Defense Show.

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Source: Greg Waldron/FlightGlobal
A South Korean army CH-47D at Seoul ADEX in 2019


DAPA will also tap the international market to replace the Korean army’s CH-47Ds. This programme will run from 2022-2028, and carry a cost of W1.4 trillion.

Cirium fleets data shows that the South Korean army operates 34 CH-47Ds, with an average age of 37.2 years. In the 2010s Seoul considered upgrading these rotorcraft, but subsequently decided it would be cheaper to replace them.

The Chinook replacement could see a major competition, likely drawing interest from Boeing with the CH-47F and Sikorsky with CH-53K King Stallion.

In addition, DAPA plans to develop an unmanned air vehicle that can operate from destroyers. This project will run from 2023-2031, and bear a development cost of W570 billion.

 

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This thread is dedicated to every Helicopter programs of the Korean Navy. Helicopters of the Korean Navy could be generally sorted in 4 types :

  1. ASW and maritime operations helicopters
  2. mine hunting helicopters
  3. amphibious assault helicopters
  4. other purposes
No. 1 are straight forward. They are those helicopters equipped with dipping sonars, sonar buoys and are armed with light torpedoes and air to surface missiles. They are combat helicopters tasked in hunting enemy submarines and smaller surface combatants. In the Korean Navy, these are Lynx, Wildcat and Sea Hawk helicopters.

No.2 is currently non-existent in the Korean Navy inventory. The original intention was to procure US AMCM (Airborne Mine Countermeasure) system that was in development since the 2000s. Unfortunately, key components of AMCM program such as RAMICS, OASIS and AMNS were cancelled, which left the Korean Navy in a tough spot. Alternative MCM helicopters, like the Merlin based MCH-101 were all to expensive. Now that MH-60S based AMCM equipments were no longer able to be procured, Korean Navy finally decided to develop a Korean MCM helicopter based on MUH.

No.3 is MUH and MAH program based on MUH. These helicopters are marinized versions of the KUH utility helicopter currently operated by the Korean Army and will be operated from the Korean Navy LPH and LST ships for amphibious assault.
 

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