The light-armed helicopter (LAH) was developed by South Korean aircraft maker Korea Aerospace Industries. The aircraft producer won final approval in November 2022 to produce LAHs with an injection of 5.75 trillion won ($4.34 billion) by 2031. The LAH, carrying a 20-millimeter (0.7 inch) machine gun and four anti-tank missiles or 70mm rocket pods, can fly at a maximum speed of 324 kilometers (201 miles) per hour.
The helicopter also passed a nine-week field test in a Canadian territory with an average winter temperature of minus 32 degrees Celsius (minus 25.6 degrees Fahrenheit) to assess its effectiveness and suitability for combat in February 2022, about four years after a prototype was released in 2018.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the LAH will be demonstrated at the Dubai Airshow 2023 between November 13 and 17. Along with the LAH, the South Korean arms procurement agency will also showcase a homemade transport utility helicopter called "Surion."
"The participation of Surion and LAH in the Dubai Airshow will mark a milestone in the export of domestic helicopters," stated DAPA Minister Eom Dong-hwan on November 13. The agency highlighted that this is the first instance of domestically manufactured rotary-wing aircraft being showcased at an airshow in foreign countries.
reporter
Kim Joo-heon
jhkim123@ajunews.com
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