LAH

South Korea's Light Armed Helicopter, derived from the Airbus H155 airframe shared with the civilian Light Civil Helicopter program, developed to replace the Republic of Korea Army's aging AH-1S Cobra fleet. It pairs a 20 mm rotary cannon with guided anti-armor missiles and an electro-optical targeting system for reconnaissance and attack missions.

In service since 2024 · 1 operator countries

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

243

km/h

857

km range

4,572

m ceiling

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

ROK export-licensed

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

Channel: Government-to-government

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2024. Status: active · ~4 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.: 243 km/h

Bottom 1% of helicopters
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 857 km

Stronger than 83% of helicopters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 4,572 m

Stronger than 24% of helicopters

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 20 mm M197 three-barrel electric rotary cannon
Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 4

Stronger than 41% of helicopters

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 14.3 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 3,400 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 4,920 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 Safran (HAS)-Arriel 2L2 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.: nose-mounted electro-optic/infrared target acquisition and designation system, radar warning receiver, laser warning receiver, missile warning receiver

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 4

Bottom 1% of helicopters
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 18% 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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