Airbus Helicopters and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) extended their partnership to include joint worldwide marketing of the Korean Light Civil Helicopter (LCH) and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH). Last March, the two companies announced their selection by the Korean government to jointly develop these two five-tonne class helicopters, based on the European company’s H155 (formerly designated EC155). Airbus Helicopters previously helped KAI develop the Korean Utility Helicopter (KUH), also known as the Surion, which has now entered service with the Korean army. 

KAI senior vice president Dr. Joo Kyun Kim said the collaboration “is a natural next step that will enable both parties to leverage each other’s strengths, to ensure success of these platforms in Korea and the world.” Airbus Helicopters North Asian head Norbert Ducros added that his company would “cooperate to provide support and services for more than 500 locally made helicopters, which will bring tremendous benefits to both KAI and Airbus Helicopters for the next 20 years.”  

An Airbus spokesman told AIN that although the LAH is based on the H155, “there will be a lot of development work that will effectively transform the 155 into a new light attack helicopter with unique capabilities, combining precision attack and troop transport into a single, versatile airframe.” The LAH is expected to enter service in 2022, two years after the LCH. Airbus Helicopters has sold more than 1,000 examples of the H155 Dauphin and Panther family since the type first flew in 1975.

KAI and Airbus Helicopters have been partners since 2006, when the development deal for the Surion was signed. In 2011, they agreed a similar joint venture to promote exports of this twin-engine machine, which is replacing UH-1H transport helicopters in the Korean army. Neither partner has yet announced an export order for the Surion, but KAI is marketing it to existing customers for its other products, such as the Iraq and the Philippines.