Korean Air South Korea Delivers the First Parts of the Royal Thai Army's AH-6i Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter

03 Juli 2023

Korean Air delivers first AH-6 light attack helicopter fuselage (photo : Korean Air)

Korean Air has delivered the first fuselage of eight AH-6i armed reconnaissance helicopters to US Boeing. Korean Air was awarded a contract from Boeing in December 2021 for the production of eight fuselage components, which will now undergo the final assembly of the airframe in North America.

Korean Air has a comprehensive Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) and aviation division, Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD). It has long supported US and Republic of Korea Armed Forces military aircraft in the region.

Korean Air, Republic of Korea, is engaged in its long-term involvement in helicopter production. The MD 500 helicopter was produced in the Republic of Korea during the 1970s-1980s and has produced and exported the fuselage for this model.

“Following the success of this program, Korean Air plans to partner with Boeing to expand its overseas sales and new aircraft development and production business in the future,” Korean Air said in a statement at Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2021(ADEX 2021) in Seoul, Republic of Korea Between 19-24 October 2021 Korean Air, Republic of Korea, has signed an agreement with US Boeing on helicopter upgrade work and the development of new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Neither Korean Air nor Boeing has provided any further details on which fuselage of the eight AH-6 light attack helicopters is for customers.

But it is understood that the latest export customer announced for the Boeing AH-6i armed reconnaissance helicopter is the Royal Thai Army, which is scheduled for delivery during the year 2024-2025.

The Royal Thai Army has signed a contract for the supply of 8 AH-6i Little Bird armed reconnaissance helicopters. $103,774,884 (approx. 3,342,589,014 baht) was announced by the US Department of Defense on February 18, 2022 after the US Department of State approved the sale to Thailand in 2019.

Proposal for the sale of armed reconnaissance helicopters Eight AH-6i(International) as well as approved weapons systems, equipment, and support including :

-50 Lockheed Martin AGM-114R Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, 

-200 BAE Systems APKWS (Advance Precision Kill Weapon System) guided air-to-surface missiles, 10 six-barreled 7.62mm Dillion M134 Mini-Guns,

-Four General Dynamics GAU-19/B Gatling guns, 12.7mm triple-barreled guns, 500 rounds of 70mm Hydra air-to-ground rockets,

-20 sets of night vision goggles (NVG: Night Vision Goggles) and 

 WESCAM MX-10Di EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infrared) surveillance and targeting cameras.

The procurement will allow the Royal Thai Army to retire its 7 Bell AH-1F Cobra helicopters that have been used for a long time. “These AH-6i helicopters have reconnaissance and light attack capabilities for close air support to Special Operations Forces, Stryker Armored Infantry and Border Guard units,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said.

Attack helicopter AH-1F Cobra, 3rd Aviation Battalion, Aviation Regiment, Army Aviation Center, Royal Thai Army Aviation Center (AAC), Royal Thai Army with at present, 7 of them, the first 4 entered service in the year 1991 with 1 machine lost in an accident in the year 2000 and provided 4 more machines that were stationed in the US Army in the year 2012.

(AAG)