South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration has selected Sikorsky’s S-92A+ for a four-helicopter replacement fleet under the Command Helicopter-II programme. The decision, made by the 179th Defense Promotion Committee in Seoul on 6 November, covers a programme budget of about 873 billion won. The aircraft are due to begin replacing the current fleet from 2031, supporting presidential transport and command missions.
The selection concludes a competition that also considered the Airbus H225M, Leonardo AW101 and Bell 525. South Korea has operated three S-92-family helicopters for head-of-state transport since 2007. The S-92A+ is an upgraded version with revised engines and a main gearbox.
South Korean industry is to take part in the aircraft’s completion and support. Korea Aerospace Industries subsidiary KAEMS will carry out domestic final assembly and completion work, with mission equipment integrated on three of the four helicopters. The programme also includes spare parts and maintenance support; Korean Air is expected to develop heavy-maintenance capability for the S-92 landing-gear system through technology transfer and certification support.
The committee’s model decision sets the aircraft type, but a final contract-signing date and detailed delivery schedule have not been disclosed.