[비즈한국] Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)047810 will participate in the UAE defense exhibition ‘IDEX 2025’ to be held this coming February. Attention is focused on whether the ‘Surion,’ which saw its first export to Iraq last year, can also be exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through this exhibition.
IDEX, a representative defense exhibition in the Middle East and Africa, began in 1993 and is held every two years. Marking its 32nd anniversary this year, the exhibition will run from February 17 to 21, and approximately 1,350 defense companies from around the world are expected to participate.
KAI, which has consistently participated in IDEX to expand the export of domestically produced aircraft, plans to set up an independent booth at this exhibition as well. It intends to showcase various future aviation assets, including its flagship export aircraft FA-50, the Korean fighter jet KF-21, the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), the Marine Attack Helicopter (MAH), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
In particular, the ‘Surion,’ which was first exported to Iraq last year, is garnering attention as a key export item for this exhibition. KAI stated that it is working hard to secure export deals based on its experience of consistent marketing activities in the UAE over the past few years.
At IDEX 2023, KAI conducted demonstration flights for both the ‘Surion’ and the ‘LAH (Light Armed Helicopter).’ This was the first time that the Surion and LAH, rotary-wing aircraft independently developed by South Korea, performed flight demonstrations at an overseas air show. They performed once a day during the event, showcasing various maneuverability capabilities.
KAI is also preparing to open a local office in the UAE. Industry insiders analyze this as a measure to support Surion exports. The primary function of the UAE office is expected to be the fulfillment of Surion export contracts.
The Surion is a 20,000-pound class medium helicopter that serves as the utility helicopter for the Korean Helicopter Program. The name is a combination of ‘Suri’ (eagle) and ‘On,’ a native Korean word meaning 100. Development began in 2006, and it entered full-scale operation in 2012. However, after mass production, it faced criticism and was labeled an “empty shell helicopter.” There were even taunts that it was a “hybrid” helicopter, combining a 40-year-old European helicopter blueprint with American engines and domestic parts. Nevertheless, during the 11-year fielding process, the Surion continuously communicated with the military to address issues and enhance its maturity. An industry official explained, “Famous foreign helicopters also take 10 years to stabilize a new airframe,” adding, “The Surion is an airframe that has resolved its issues through numerous trials and errors.”
As a result of these efforts, the Surion was exported to Iraq for the first time on the 23rd of last month. The contract is worth 135.7 billion KRW, and two units of a firefighting variant of the Surion are scheduled to be delivered starting this March. Considering past cases where South Korean weapon systems were exported to one country and then expanded to neighboring nations, the consensus among defense experts is that the possibility of an export to the UAE is high this time.
A KAI official stated, “Based on the export-type prototype, the Surion can meet the diverse requirements of both domestic and international customers,” adding, “It is evolving into over 10 variants, including marine operations, medical evacuation, coast guard, firefighting, and forestry services, to respond to the needs of various clients.”