KAI to supply two Surion choppers to Korea Coast Guard
By Kim Byung-wookPublished : Aug. 10, 2021 - 16:01
Korea Aerospace Industries said Tuesday it has signed a 49.7 billion-won ($43.2 million) deal with the Public Procurement Service to supply two Surion helicopters to the Korea Coast Guard.
According to the nation’s sole aircraft manufacturer, the two units of KUH-1CG, a police version of the multi-role utility helicopter Surion, will be delivered to the Korea Coast Guard by July 2024.
“The contract includes Osprey 30, a new radar that can detect 1,000 targets simultaneously. The new radar will boost KUH-1CG’s capabilities in policing and accident prevention missions,” a company official said.
This is the third order of KUH-1CG from the Korea Coast Guard, which previously acquired two units in 2016 and one unit in 2018.
The Korea Coast Guard in February dispatched a KUH-1CG No.1 and successfully rescued five fishermen who were stranded on rocks off Jeju Island after their boat sank.
Of 120 state-owned helicopters, roughly 40 percent of them are more than 20 years old and need to be replaced for safe operations, according to the company.