KAI Signs Civil-Military Airworthiness Cooperation Agreement to Enhance Surion Safety

Expanding Joint Use of Parts and Technical Cooperation

Enhancing Operational Efficiency and Availability

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced on July 3 that it held a signing ceremony for a "Civil-Military Airworthiness Cooperation Advancement Agreement" at its headquarters. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and jointly organized by KAI and the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced that it held a signing ceremony for the 'Public-Private Cooperation to Advance Military and Civil Aviation Airworthiness Management Agreement.' From the left: Ji-Sun Hong, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Jang-Sik Choi, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army; Ha-Soo Lim, Vice Administrator of the Korea Forest Service; and Ho-Chul Song, Vice President and Head of Production at KAI. Photo by KAI

The ceremony was attended by Ho-chul Song, Vice President and Head of Production Operations Division at KAI; Ji-sun Hong, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Jang-sik Choi, Vice Chief of Army Staff; Il-dong Kim, Deputy Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration; Ha-su Lim, Vice Administrator of the Korea Forest Service; and Ho-won Hwang, President of the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology, as well as other officials from government, military, and public agencies.

This agreement was established to build a sustainable airworthiness system for domestically produced helicopters through civil-military cooperation among the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and helicopter operating agencies. Until now, the limited number of civil helicopters in operation has led to a lack of information regarding failures and defects, which posed challenges for risk assessment and safety management.

With this agreement, the sustainable airworthiness system for the Korean utility helicopter Surion is expected to be further strengthened. Since supplying two police helicopters in 2013, a total of 42 Surion helicopters have been contracted for public agencies including the Korea Forest Service, fire departments, and the Korea Coast Guard, with 30 units currently deployed in the field. In 2022, Surion obtained a restricted type certificate from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, laying the foundation for civil operations.

Through this agreement, it is expected that operational data, risk assessment, and safety management experience from the military, police, and coast guard will be shared with civil operators such as fire and forest services. In addition, joint use of parts and expanded technical cooperation will help improve operational rates and airframe safety.

Ho-chul Song, Vice President and Head of Production Operations Division at KAI, stated, "This agreement is a meaningful starting point that goes beyond simple institutional cooperation and advances the air safety system for rotary-wing aircraft in Korea." He added, "Based on this collaboration, we will do our best to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic rotary-wing industry, contribute to the development of Korea's helicopter industry ecosystem, and expand exports to overseas markets."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.