[Defense Column] Special Operations Helicopters to Be Introduced by Special Forces

[Monthly Defense Times Editor-in-Chief An Seung-beom] The Army's large special operations helicopter acquisition project will be in full swing starting in 2022. Preliminary research will begin in the first half of 2022, followed by procedures such as establishing the basic strategy for project promotion and acquisition methods.

The number of units to be introduced is 12, and it is expected to be carried out concurrently with the large mobility helicopter project. It is known as the main equipment of the Special Mission Brigade established in December 2017, and the Army is requesting an aircraft comparable to the MH-47G Block II class, which the U.S. military has been acquiring since 2020.

The performance required for the large special operations helicopter lies more in flight performance, such as endurance and operational radius, rather than simple payload capacity. A model that allows free infiltration and extraction within the Korean Peninsula is preferred. Until now, the leading candidate was a plan to upgrade Boeing's latest CH-47F Chinook helicopter, but according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's competitive structure, the U.S. Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and the European Leonardo AW-101 Merlin large mobility helicopter have also been requested to participate.

At the Seoul ADEX 2021 International Defense Industry Exhibition held at the end of October, two MV-22 Ospreys from the U.S. Marine Corps were displayed, attracting attention as a public showcase with the large special operations helicopter project in mind.

The MV-22 Osprey boasts a low-altitude cruising speed of 446 km/h and a combat operational radius of 722 km, offering performance comparable to a medium transport aircraft. It is used not only by the U.S. Marine Corps but also by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces have ordered 17 units, some of which have been delivered.

The AW-101 Merlin large mobility helicopter was showcased aboard the British Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier near Busan at the end of August, used for VIP transport, leaving a strong impression. Leonardo, the manufacturer of the AW-101 Merlin that participated in Seoul ADEX 2021, has also expressed interest in participating in the large special operations helicopter acquisition project.

Meanwhile, the large mobility helicopter project to acquire 17 units is beginning with competition between Boeing's CH-47F Chinook and Lockheed Martin's CH-53K King Stallion.

The 17 aircraft to be acquired through the approximately 1.2 trillion KRW large mobility helicopter project will be allocated and operated as six units directly under the Army Aviation Operations Command, six units for the Special Mission Brigade, and five units for the Air Force's combat search and rescue. As of November 2021, the project feasibility study is underway. The plan is to cancel the upgrade project for the 42 old H-47 large mobility helicopters currently held by the Army and Air Force and to complete the force modernization by 2032 through direct overseas purchase of 29 units as the second large mobility helicopter project.

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