– The project aims to complete development by the second half of 2026.
– South Korea becomes the third country, after the United States and Italy, to develop a dedicated mine countermeasures helicopter.
– The ROK Navy plans to establish a dedicated MCH squadron, which is expected to enhance its mine response capabilities and independent operational capacity significantly.
– KAI stated that the MCH project demonstrates South Korea’s helicopter development capabilities and will contribute to strengthening the Navy’s aviation power.
□ KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd.) held a ceremony on Tuesday to commemorate the successful maiden flight of its prototype Mine Countermeasures Helicopter (MCH).
‣ The first flight ceremony, held at its headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, was organized to celebrate the successful MCH maiden flight completed on June 16. More than 100 key figures attended, including the Commander of Naval Aviation, the Director General of the Force Support Program Bureau at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), as well as officials from IPT, the Navy, DTaQ, and airworthiness institutions.
‣ At the event, KAI shared the development progress with the key guests, recognized the personnel who contributed to the development and the successful first flight, and conducted a demonstration flight of the MCH equipped with the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS).
‣ The MCH entered system development following a contract signed with DAPA in December 2022. Based on the Marineon, a platform proven in maritime and shipborne operations, it features upgraded avionics and is equipped with various mine countermeasure mission systems.
‣ Following the maiden flight, the MCH is set to begin full-scale flight testing and will go through evaluation to complete development by the second half of 2026. Once completed, South Korea will become the third country in the world to successfully develop a dedicated mine countermeasures helicopter, following the United States (Sikorsky) and Italy (Leonardo).
□ Once the Navy establishes a dedicated MCH squadron and the helicopters are deployed to missions, it is expected to significantly improve the Navy’s ability to respond to mine threats and conduct independent operations, which previously relied solely on mine countermeasure ships.
‣ Compared to mine countermeasure ships, mine countermeasures helicopters are more agile. They can perform low-altitude flights to detect and neutralize mines in shallow waters that are inaccessible to vessels, enabling efficient operations.
‣ The MCH will be equipped with advanced mission systems such as the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS), Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), and the Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) for removing sea mines.
‣ With these capabilities, the MCH will be able to detect and neutralize mines in various depths and maritime environments across Korea’s three surrounding seas—the East Sea, South Sea, and Yellow Sea—enhancing operational flexibility.
‣ A KAI representative stated that following the successful development of the Surion helicopter, the company has continued developing various derivative models. Through the MCH project, Korea’s helicopter development technology has now been proven in the global market. The company added that it will work to complete the remaining development schedule without delay, contribute to strengthening the Navy’s aviation power, and establish the MCH as a new K-defense export platform.
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