Korea Aerospace Industries has signed two new contracts to deliver Surion multirole helicopters to South Korean government agencies, extending the platform’s role in public safety, disaster response, and maritime security missions.
According to K-DEFENSE NEWS, KAI signed separate agreements on December 15 and December 17 to supply one Surion helicopter each to the Korea Coast Guard and the National Park Service. With these deals, the company has secured contracts for seven government-operated helicopters in 2025 alone.
The contract with the Korea Coast Guard is valued at about KRW 38.5 billion, or roughly $28.5 million, while the National Park Service contract amounts to approximately KRW 32.8 billion, or around $24.3 million. Each package includes the helicopter airframe, spare parts, ground support equipment, and training for both pilots and maintenance personnel.
As noted by KAI, the helicopter ordered by the Korea Coast Guard will be equipped with maritime mission systems designed to support surveillance and rescue operations. These include a search radar, high-performance electro-optical and infrared sensors, and an Automatic Identification System, or AIS. The configuration is intended to improve coastal monitoring, search-and-rescue coverage, and night operations along South Korea’s maritime approaches.
The helicopter destined for the National Park Service is configured for disaster response, with a focus on wildfire suppression. According to the report, the aircraft features a newly developed firefighting water tank with a capacity exceeding 2.5 tons. The system is designed to support aerial firefighting in mountainous terrain, where ground access is often limited and rapid response is critical.
Including the latest contracts, KAI has now signed agreements to supply a total of 42 Surion helicopters to South Korean government agencies. These operators include the national police, coast guard, forestry service, fire services, and the national parks authority. Of those 42 aircraft, 28 have already been delivered and are currently in active service.
The Surion helicopter has gradually replaced foreign-built platforms in South Korea’s public-service aviation sector since its first deployment with the Korean National Police Agency in 2013. Officials have pointed to the aircraft’s all-weather, day-and-night operational capability as a key factor in its adoption. The platform’s avionics and navigation systems allow it to operate in complex environments during emergencies, including poor visibility and nighttime conditions.
According to South Korean authorities, the Surion has demonstrated its value during real-world operations, including nighttime wildfire suppression missions. In those cases, high availability rates and domestic maintenance support were cited as important factors in containing fires during their early stages.
KAI’s domestic success with the Surion is now translating into international interest. In 2024, the company signed a contract with Iraq’s Ministry of Interior to supply two firefighting-configured Surion helicopters. Those aircraft were delivered in October and are currently undergoing operational flights and force integration in Iraq.
K-DEFENSE NEWS reported that the deployment in Iraq has drawn attention from neighboring countries, as the helicopters move toward full operational use. KAI has positioned the Surion as a multirole platform that can be adapted for public safety, disaster response, and internal security missions, in addition to its military variants.