S. Korea successfully conducts low-temperature test on homegrown chopper

South Korea's military has successfully conducted a low-temperature flight test on a light-armed helicopter under a plan to complete its development by year's end, the state arms procurement agency said Friday.

The LAH helicopter went through a nine-week evaluation program ending earlier this month in Yellowknife, Canada where the temperature dips to around minus 32 C in winter, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The program included test-flying the chopper some 40 times on the basis of 165 testing categories designed to check its capabilities to withstand extreme cold weather.

The assessment also included the soaking test to check whether the helicopter's engine and other equipment can function properly after exposure to a temperature of minus 32 C for 12 hours.

Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), the country's sole aircraft maker, embarked on the project to build the LAH chopper in 2015 to replace an aging fleet of the Army's 500MD and AH-1S Cobra attack choppers.

Its first prototype was unveiled in 2018. In late 2020, the chopper passed a provisional combat suitability test, a procedure to accelerate its production process in line with the military's deployment schedule.

The new helicopter will be equipped with a 20-mm machine gun, homegrown air-to-land guided missiles, and 70-mm rockets, according to KAI. (Yonhap)