(LEAD) S. Korea hopes chopper will propel aerospace industry

(ATTN: ADDS comments by president in paras 3, UPDATES with more details in paras 2, 4)
By Lee Joon-seung
SACHEON, South Korea, July 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Friday unveiled its
first homegrown helicopter, hoping it will propel the nation's budding aerospace
industry and step in for an aging military fleet.

Able to push 260km per hour and hover high above the nation's craggy terrain, the
first prototype of the Korean Utility Helicopter (KUH), also called the "Surion,"
was displayed at a ceremony in this southwestern city attended by senior
government officials, including President Lee Myung-bak.
"We should use the successful development of the indigenous helicopter as a
spring board to move forward and join the ranks of advanced industrialized
countries in the 21st century," Lee said at the ceremony.
Helped by Europe's leading helicopter manufacturer, Eurocopter, Korea Aerospace
Industries Ltd. and other local companies designed the Surion, with 60 percent of
all parts and components being made in the country. Officials have stressed
Surion's ability to serve in both defense and civilian roles is significant in
terms of future growth potential.
"Even though it is primarily a military helicopter, the KUH already satisfies 96
percent or 2,363 of the 2,460 international operational standards for civilian
helicopters," said Lee Jae-hong, head of the machinery, aerospace and defense
industry division at the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
The project's managers said that while initial aircraft will be supplied
exclusively to the military, civilian orders will be sought beginning in 2011 at
the latest to ensure a better return on investment.
The government and private firms have poured a combined 1.3 trillion won (US$1
billion) into the aircraft's development since it began in 2006. South Korea has
produced propeller-driven supersonic jets in the past, but the Surion makes it
one of only 11 countries in the world to turn out an indigenous helicopter.
The ministry, which contributed heavily to the project, said the aircraft will
help South Korea make inroads into the fiercely competitive global aerospace
market.
In addition to the prototype, three other aircraft will be built to conduct
various flight safety tests. Full-scale production is to begin in June 2012.
South Korea's aging fleet of UH-1Hs and 500MD choppers, many of which have been
in service for over 30 years, are set to be phased out. Independent sources
speculate the South Korean military may require as many as 250 Surion choppers.
Seoul also aims to win 300 overseas military orders for the KUH in the next 25
years, a government official said on condition of anonymity. That is roughly 30
percent of the projected global demand for Surion-type choppers, which are larger
than the UH-1 Iroquois but smaller than the UH-60 Black Hawks.
The Surion is designed to fly a fully equipped squad of troops or an equal amount
of equipment for two hours. It can climb 152m per minute and maintain a stable
hover at 3,000m. Special emphasis was placed in the design on meeting variable
combat conditions needed to ensure the survival of the crew.
Related to the KUH development, the Defense Ministry said earlier in the week it
may scrap a plan to buy used Apache helicopters from the United States because of
feasibility issues. With the move, South Korea is expected to build an indigenous
fleet of attack helicopters to replace its AH-1 Cobra fleet in the coming years.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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