KAI announced that it signed separate contracts on December 15 and 17 to deliver one Surion multirole helicopter each to the two agencies. KAI announced that it signed separate contracts on December 15 and 17 to deliver one Surion multirole helicopter each to the two agencies. With these deals, KAI has now secured contracts for a total of seven government-operated helicopters in 2025 alone.

The contract with the Korea Coast Guard is valued at approximately KRW 38.5 billion (about USD 28.5 million), while the National Park Service contract amounts to KRW 32.8 billion (around USD 24.3 million). Each package includes the helicopter airframe, spare parts, ground support equipment, and training for pilots and maintenance personnel.

The Coast Guard helicopter will be equipped with advanced maritime mission systems, including a search radar, high-performance EO/IR sensors, and an Automatic Identification System (AIS), significantly enhancing Korea’s coastal surveillance, search-and-rescue, and night-operation capabilities.

The National Park Service helicopter is optimized for disaster response missions, featuring a newly developed firefighting water tank with a capacity exceeding 2.5 tons, designed to improve aerial wildfire suppression in mountainous terrain.

Including the latest contracts, KAI has signed agreements for a total of 42 government-operated Surion helicopters across multiple agencies—police, coast guard, forestry, fire services, and national parks. Of these, 28 aircraft have already been delivered and are in active service.

Since its first deployment with the Korean National Police Agency in 2013, the Surion has steadily replaced foreign-built helicopters in Korea’s public-service sector. The platform’s all-weather, day-and-night operational capability, enabled by advanced avionics and navigation systems, has made it a central asset in disaster response and public safety missions.

The Surion has also demonstrated its effectiveness in real-world operations, including nighttime wildfire suppression missions, where its high availability rate and strong domestic maintenance support proved critical in early fire containment.

Building on its domestic success, KAI is now expanding the Surion’s footprint overseas. In 2024, KAI signed a contract with Iraq’s Ministry of Interior to supply two firefighting helicopters, which were delivered in October. The aircraft are currently undergoing successful operational flights and force integration in Iraq, drawing growing interest from neighboring countries.

K-DEFENSE NEWS | Strategic Analysis Desk

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