Airbus Helicopters Wins $1.5 Billion South Korean Rotorcraft Contract

Airbus Helicopters announced today that it has won $1.5 billion contract to develop two 5-ton class rotorcraft partnering Korea Aerospace Industries to meet South Korea’s requirements for its next-generation Light Civil Helicopter (LCH) and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH).

Airbus Helicopters is also partnering KAI for the joint program that developed Korea’s Surion twin-engine utility transport helicopter.

“We are committing our full support in ensuring the LCH and LAH projects will be completed on time, on cost and to specification,” said Airbus Helicopters President Guillaume Faury.

Both the LCH and LAH will be based on Airbus Helicopters’ H155 (formerly known as the EC155) latest variant in Dauphin family, which includes the Panther military and para-public variants that have demonstrated their capabilities in operation around the world.

As part of the new commitment, Airbus Helicopters will transfer the company’s technical know-how to ensure Korea is able to develop its newest indigenous products.

“The LCH and LAH programs will build on our collaboration with Korea Aerospace Industries on the Surion, which has become a reference in successful rotorcraft collaboration. We will significantly reduce the risks of these two new development programs, while meeting all of the mission requirements,” added Faury.

The LCH version is expected to enter service in 2020 while the service introduction of the LAH is targeted for 2022.