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.

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.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

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 31% 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 76% of helicopters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 4,595 m

Stronger than 28% of helicopters

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

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

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

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.

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 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.

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 58% 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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