The Republic of Korea’s Defence Procurement Program Administration (DAPA) has announced that the new Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) is in accordance with combat conditions. LAH was developed for the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) under the main contractor of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).

Developed on the basis of the Airbus H155 (formerly EC155 B1) twin-engine platform, the helicopter made its maiden flight in 2019.

Testing of the helicopter is expected to take about three years. According to DAPA, the programme will enter the pre-production phase. The development of LAH is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Electro-optical/infrared sensor mounted on the nose of the platform (EO/IR). Missile warning receivers were equipped in the hull and tail section of the platform.

In total, three prototype helicopters were reported to have conducted more than 850 hours of test flights. It is thought that the LAH will be delivered to RoKA in 2023.