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Helicopter

South Korea

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)

KUH-1 Surion

South Korea's first indigenously developed utility helicopter, built to replace aging UH-1H and MD 500 fleets in the Republic of Korea Army with twin-engine reliability and a modern glass cockpit. It has spawned armed (LAH), marine, and medevac derivatives and is operated by the army, marine corps, police, and coast guard.

In service since 2013 · 4 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

283

km/h

828

km range

4,595

m ceiling

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

ROK export-licensed

DAPA-administered; aggressive export posture with financing/offset packages.

Channel: Government-to-government

Fielded & proven

Established · 4 operators

In service since 2013. Status: active · ~218 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the KUH-1 Surion can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

gun pods

rockets anti-tank guided missiles (removable pylons)

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.	283 km/h Stronger than 29% of helicopters
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.	828 km Stronger than 74% of helicopters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.	4,595 m Stronger than 23% of helicopters

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	7.62 mm pintle-mounted machine gun pods (optional)

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	19 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.	8,709 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	8,709 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.	2

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Engine Powerplant model and type.	2x General Electric/Hanwha Aerospace T700-701K turboshaft
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.	2
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Turboshaft

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors & avionics specifications
Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.	weather radar, traffic collision avoidance system, inertial navigation system, helmet-mounted display, radar/laser warning receivers

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	218 Stronger than 59% of helicopters
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	4 Stronger than 60% of helicopters

Specifications compiled from public Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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