Forest Service to Acquire Additional Ultra-Large Forest Helicopters and Deploy Them on the East Coast

The Korea Forest Service held a commissioning ceremony for the super-large helicopter (S-64E) on the 13th at the Uljin Forest Aviation Management Office. About 70 officials from related organizations, including Nam Seong-hyun, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, Kim Hak-hong, Deputy Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, Son Byeong-bok, Mayor of Uljin County, as well as representatives from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korea Airports Corporation, fire department, police, and military attended the ceremony. Photo by Korea Forest Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Forest Service will acquire an additional super-large forest helicopter (S-64E) and deploy it to the eastern coastal region of Gyeongbuk.

On the 14th, the Korea Forest Service announced that considering the recent trend of large-scale and prolonged wildfires due to climate change, it will strengthen its response capabilities to large wildfires by acquiring an additional super-large forest helicopter and deploying it to the eastern coastal region of Gyeongbuk.

The newly acquired super-large forest helicopter was manufactured by Erickson in the United States. This model can carry 8,000 liters of firefighting water, has a top speed of 213 km/h, and can lift cargo up to 9 tons.

Above all, it is known to be effective in responding to large wildfires as it can carry the largest amount of firefighting water among the wildfire suppression helicopters currently owned domestically.

Additionally, it is considered the best model among wildfire suppression helicopters operated in the private aviation sector, with proven performance and excellence at overseas wildfire sites.

South Korea currently owns seven S-64E helicopters, including the newly acquired one, making it the country with the second-largest number of super-large helicopters after the United States.

The S-64E models are deployed and operated with two units at the Wonju Forest Aviation Headquarters, and one unit each at the Iksan, Andong, Gangneung, Jincheon, and Uljin management offices.

Nam Sung-hyun, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, said, “Wildfires are forest disasters that threaten the lives and property of the people. As the main agency responsible for forest disasters, the Korea Forest Service will focus on strengthening its response capabilities to wildfire disasters to minimize damage to the public.”

He also expressed his ambition, stating, “By 2027, we will secure 58 forest helicopters and 2,500 firefighting vehicles, and create 1,511 safety buffer zones around key facilities to prepare for wildfires, ushering in an advanced ‘Forest Renaissance Era.’”

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