South Korea has carried out the first flight of its domestically-made mine countermeasures rotary wing aircraft prototype in South Gyeongsang Province.
The demonstration is part of a 347.7-billion-won ($256.6 million) program announced in 2022 to provide the Republic of Korea Armed Forces with a homegrown helicopter capable of supporting naval minehunter vessels.
Following this milestone, the platform will undergo full-scale tests to verify its flight performance, technology systems, and safety protocols.
Program leaders Korea Aerospace Industries and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will then continue the aircraft’s development until 2026.
Upon completion, this new helicopter will assist mine countermeasure ships in transiting complex domains and their associated missions.
The platform itself will also be able to facilitate anti-mine tasks in shallow waters and amphibious landing routes, as it will be equipped with laser minehunting solutions, unmanned underwater vehicles, and other autonomous systems.
“Through the mine-sweeping helicopter project, the Navy’s mine-hunting capabilities will be strengthened and stable removal capabilities will be secured, which is expected to greatly enhance the Navy’s wartime mission performance capabilities,” said Brig. Gen. Kang Joong-hee, head of DAPA’s Aircraft Business Division.
“We will carry out the remaining development schedule without a hitch and successfully complete the development.”
Seoul’s incoming minesweeping system is based on the MUH-1 Marineon, a maritime variant of the proven KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter.
Earlier this year, the country finalized the initial flight of the MUH-1’s amphibious assault subvariant being developed for the Republic of Korea Marine Corps in Gyeongnam.
