South Korea’s Light Armed Helicopter provisionally declared fit for combat
South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA)
has provisionally declared the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) fit for combat.
KAI Light Armed Helicopter (LAH)
KAI announced in an 11 December statement that DAPA’s assessment, which came five years and six months after the launch of the LAH project,
“lays the foundation” for mass production of the helicopter, development of which is due to be completed by late 2022.
The RoKA plans to acquire about 210 LAHs from 2023.
The helicopter, which is capable of carrying out ground-attack and close air support operations,
is armed with a chin-mounted 20 mm Gatling-type gun, and fitted with stub wings to carry 70 mm unguided rockets as well as the locally developed Chungum anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), which has a stated range of about 8 km.
The LAH also features a nose-mounted electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, multiple missile and radar warning receivers, as well as upwards-directed exhausts to reduce its infrared signature.
The rotorcraft is powered by two Arriel 2L2 turboshaft engines co-developed and built by Safran Helicopter Engines and Hanwha Techwin.