KAI Unveils Surion Wildfire Suppression Helicopter... Showcases 2.7-Ton Water Tank in Development

Showcasing Government Helicopters and Next-Generation Technologies at the Expo

Targeting 2027 for Development... Launching 2.7-Ton Water Tank Project

Accelerating Export Expansion Strategy Focused on the Middle East and Southeast Asia

KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries) is participating in the "2026 International Fire Safety Expo" held at EXCO in Daegu until May 22, showcasing its Surion-based government helicopters and wildfire response technologies. KAI aims to target the disaster response-specialized helicopter market and expand overseas exports by introducing its new water tank system.

KAI booth view. KAI

This expo, hosted by the National Fire Agency and the Daegu Metropolitan City, features 400 companies operating 1,500 booths. KAI is exhibiting its lineup of Surion government helicopters, including models for firefighting, forestry, police, and maritime police missions.

The Surion government helicopter is a model specialized for disaster rescue operations, equipped with all-weather, day-and-night mission capability via instrument flight and navigation systems, emergency medical equipment, and weather radar.

At this exhibition, KAI has set up a separate zone to reveal videos and models of its newly developed water tank. The tank, with a freshwater capacity of 2.7 tons, is scheduled for completion in July 2027 and meets the Type 1 (Heavy) standard of the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). Upon completion, KAI explains that the Surion will be able to compete with overseas large wildfire suppression helicopters in terms of performance.

KAI is also participating in the "Fire Summit" during the expo, conducting Surion export marketing for representatives from eight countries, including the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Last year, two Surion helicopters in firefighting configuration were exported to Iraq and are currently operated by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. KAI plans to expand additional export opportunities, focusing on the Middle East and Southeast Asia markets.

In addition, KAI will hold a government helicopter technology conference to introduce next-generation rotorcraft technologies, including the development direction of the Surion MGB, the enhanced efficiency of the rear water tank, and the establishment of a low-Earth orbit satellite-based mission data transmission system.

Jo Jungil, Head of the Rotorcraft Division at KAI, stated, "Since the development of Surion, we have continuously advanced the performance of government helicopters over the past decade through proactive technology adoption," adding, "We will further strengthen our competitiveness as a disaster response-specialized helicopter and accelerate our expansion into overseas markets."

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