Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) 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, the KAI said on Dec. 28.
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.
In addition, 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.
On the same day, 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.
Under this contract, KAI will be in charge of all tasks for Surion's 1207 items such as prediction, acquisition, transportation, delivery and repair.
Under Korea's weapons system, including Surion, PBL contracts are usually carried out on a five-year basis, allowing stable parts procurement. In addition, KAI is able to respond quickly to various problems caused by the military's follow-up support for its weapons system.
Starting with the PBL contract for KT-1 and KA-1 in 2010, KAI has been expanding its business to include the PBL contract for unmanned aerial vehicles, and the PBL contract for T-50 and FA-50, respectively.
KAI is currently carrying out the 3rd round of KT/A-1 and the 2nd round of T-50s, including the FA-50, and the PBL for landing maneuver helicopters.
A KAI official said, "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."
