This year marks the 12th year since the domestically produced multipurpose helicopter Surion was electrified, and it is pushing for military exports. Although it has weaknesses such as low recognition compared to competing models and a high price, there are plans to break into the export market through customized upgrades.
According to the defense industry on the 20th, some countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia are reportedly considering the introduction of the Surion. These countries are said to be requesting modifications suited to their national circumstances, such as combining the Marine Attack Helicopter's (MAH) armament system with the emergency system of the Medeon, a helicopter dedicated to medical transportation. The two models are derivative models that have added armaments or modified the interiors of the Surion.
Two Surions were exported last December, used for firefighting purposes. The Iraqi government purchased two Surions for $100 million (approximately 138 billion won). An industry official noted, "Countries that purchased Korean fighter jets are also showing interest in helicopters. In the general use (firefighting, police, etc.) market, performance-verified models are primarily sought, and with the successful export of the Surion, it is gaining recognition in international markets."
However, no country has yet introduced the Surion for military use. While one reason is the decrease in helicopter demand due to the rise of drones, the main reason is its lower recognition compared to the Sikorsky UH-60, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, which has dominated the helicopter market for over 40 years. The Surion is also competing against the AW149 from Italy's Leonardo and Brazil's H225M.
Price is also cited as a reason. The Surion is reported to be more expensive than the UH-60. In 2019, negotiations for Surion exports with the Philippine government reached the final stage but were not successful. At that time, the Korean government proposed 10 Surions to the Philippines, but Lockheed Martin offered 16 UH-60s at a similar price. The Philippine Secretary of National Defense mentioned, "While we can only purchase 10 Surions with our budget, we can buy 16 UH-60s."
Although the Surion is evaluated as lacking distinct advantages due to being developed for general purposes, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) plans to enhance its performance to target the export market. The T-50 advanced trainer, also developed by KAI, has a similar experience. The T-50 can fly at supersonic speeds, which was considered excessive for a trainer. KAI added armament to the T-50 to develop the FA-50 light attack aircraft, achieving exports to Poland and the Philippines.
KAI has improved the performance of the Surion by equipping it with advanced avionics systems and an automatic flight route operation function. It is also in the process of increasing the water tank capacity for firefighting use from 2,000 liters (L) to 2,700 L.
A KAI official stated, "We will improve the performance of the Surion and derivative models to enhance market trust."