Republic of Korea Army Aviation
Republic of Korea Army Aviation, run since 1989 by an aviation command at Icheon, began as the army flight that became the air force in 1949, rebuilt itself from 1950 with liaison aircraft and now flies 36 AH-64E Apaches, more than 200 Surions and the first LAH Mirons — and in 2024–2026 it saw its Black Hawks fly troops to the National Assembly under martial law, its second Apache order cancelled, its commander suspended and then cleared, and its new Miron fleet grounded with cracked engines.
The South Korean army aviation story: the flight that became an air force, fifty years of Hueys and an Apache order cancelled
1948–1957: the flight that became an air force, and starting again
Korean army flying is older than the Korean air force — in fact it was the air force. Namuwiki dates an aviation unit of the constabulary to 5 May 1948; it became an aviation base command at Kimpo that July and the Army Aviation Command on 13 September 1948, flying L-4 and L-5 liaison aircraft. On 1 October 1949 it left the army to become the Republic of Korea Air Force. The army had to start again: an aviation section was set up in the operations bureau of Army Headquarters on 1 October 1950, in the middle of the war, an aviation department at the Army Artillery School followed on 23 January 1952, and on 1 July 1957 the Army Aviation School opened. Its role in the war itself, beyond liaison and observation flying, is not documented in the sources reached.
1957–1989: Bird Dogs, Hueys and the 500MD
For the next three decades army aviation was a supporting service. An aviation inspectorate was created on 1 February 1955 and an aviation section on the army staff on 17 October 1961; aviation became a branch of the army in its own right on 30 January 1973. The aircraft came from the United States: L-19 Bird Dogs, then from 12 December 1968 the UH-1 — the Huey that served for more than fifty years — and OH-6 scouts. The big change was the Hughes 500MD: about 250 were built under licence by Korean Air from 1976, including a TOW anti-tank version from 1977. Namuwiki says they also had the highest non-combat loss rate of any South Korean army helicopter, because the light machines struggled with mountain winds.
1989–2012: a command of its own, Black Hawks and hard landings
On 1 July 1989 the army gave its aviation a command of its own, the Army Aviation Operations Command, by Namuwiki’s date; Korean Wikipedia dates the command to 20 April 1999, the day Namuwiki gives for the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, so the two accounts differ. AH-1 Cobras joined the fleet — Namuwiki lists S, J and F versions, without dates — and Korean Air built about 130 UH-60P Black Hawks under licence from the 1990s, most of them for the army. The accident record was hard. On 29 May 2001 a CH-47D placing a sculpture on the Olympic Bridge in Seoul struck it with its rotors and broke apart, killing three; on 5 November 2007 two UH-60s collided during training at Inje, killing one officer and injuring 21, according to Korean Wikipedia.
2013–2023: Surion and Apache
The 2010s brought the army’s first home-built helicopter and its most capable foreign one. The KAI KUH-1 Surion, developed from 2006, first flew on 10 March 2010 and was delivered from December 2012; by the end of production on 4 June 2024 the army had 210, plus eight KUH-1M Medion ambulances. Its introduction was troubled — Namuwiki records failed icing tests in 2015–2016 and rain leaks found by auditors in 2017 — and it arrived as the Huey was retired, on 27 July 2020, after fifty years. Thirty-six AH-64E Apaches, chosen in April 2013, arrived from 25 May 2016 and were all in service by 27 January 2017 in two battalions. In December 2022 army AH-1S Cobras were sent after five North Korean drones over Seoul and Gimpo and, Namuwiki says, failed to bring any down.
2024–2026: martial law, a cancelled order and a grounded Miron
Since 2024 the service has been in the news for the wrong reasons. On the night of 3–4 December 2024, when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, UH-60P Black Hawks flew troops of the 707th Special Mission Group to the National Assembly: Wikipedia records 24 flights carrying 240 troops, after the Capital Defense Command had refused permission to enter restricted airspace several times. Namuwiki says the helicopters belonged to the Special Operations Aviation Group, an army unit under Special Warfare Command, and that its commander was dismissed. The Army Aviation Command’s own commander was suspended on 2 February 2026 over an allegation, examined by the special counsel, that armed helicopters had been sent near the Northern Limit Line to provoke North Korea; on 24 August 2026 the counsel declined to prosecute. Meanwhile the budget for 36 more Apaches was cut in November 2024 and scrapped in July 2025, and the first LAH Mirons, delivered on 26 December 2024, were grounded in June 2026 when corrosion was found in 47 of 57 engines.
Co funguje, co ne a co stále chybí
Army aviation’s strengths are numbers and a domestic industry: Korean Air and KAI have built most of its helicopters at home, and the Surion and Miron programmes give the country a production base few armies of its size have. Its weaknesses are age, money and accidents. The AH-1S and 500MD that the Miron is meant to replace date from the 1970s and 1980s; the decision to drop the second Apache batch — on cost, and on what lawmakers took from the helicopter losses of the Ukraine war — leaves the army with 36 heavy attack helicopters and a bet on drones and the Miron. The Miron’s engine defects, with 15 aircraft at the Army Aviation School grounded, show how much depends on getting that bet right.
The Republic of Korea Army Aviation in numbers
Servis
- Rodné jméno
- 육군항공사령부 (Yukgun Hanggong Saryeongbu)Army Aviation Command, the name since 1 December 2021; before that the Army Aviation Operations Command. Spelling as in Korean Wikipedia and Namuwiki; the army’s site could not be reached. There is no English Wikipedia article on the service; the English article on the army does not cover aviation
- Založeno
- 1. října 1950Re-formation of army aviation as a section of Army Headquarters after the first army flight became the air force on 1 October 1949. The aviation branch dates from 30 January 1973; the command from 1 July 1989 (Namuwiki) or 20 April 1999 (Korean Wikipedia)
- Část
- Republic of Korea ArmyThe Special Operations Aviation Group, formed under the aviation command in December 2017, has belonged to Special Warfare Command since 2019
- Velitel
- Brig. Gen. Park Min-sang (acting)Per Namuwiki’s revision of 25 September 2026; Maj. Gen. Yang Yun-seok was suspended on 2 February 2026 and cleared on 24 August 2026
- Chief of Staff of the Army
- Gen. Kim Kyu-haPodle anglické Wikipedie
- Velitelství
- Icheon, Gyeonggi ProvinceIcheon airfield, Dapo-dong, per Namuwiki
Pevnost
- Útočné vrtulníky
-
- AH-64E Apache Guardian — 36
- AH-1S Cobra — number not published
- 500MD and 500MD/TOW — about 250 bought from 1976; number left not published
- LAH-1 Miron — at least 15 by June 2026
The AH-1S and 500MD are being retired as the Miron arrives; 214 Mirons are planned
- užitkové vrtulníky
-
- KUH-1 Surion — 210
- KUH-1M Medion — 8
- UH-60P Black Hawk — most of about 130 licence-built
Surion figures to June 2024 from Wikipedia; 36 UH-60s serve with special operations aviation
- Těžké vrtulníky
- CH-47D ChinookNumber not published in the sources reached
- Drony
- RQ-101 and othersNamuwiki mentions the RQ-101; army drone numbers are not published
- Army personnel
- 318,000 (whole army)Namuwiki’s figure for May 2026; the aviation share is not published
Infrastruktura
- Brigády
-
- 1st Combat Aviation Brigade
- 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade (formed 20 April 1999)
- Aviation Maintenance Brigade
Per Namuwiki; stations of the brigades are not given here
- Medical evacuation
- Medical Evacuation Aviation SquadronActivated 1 May 2015; KUH-1M Medion
- Výcvik
- Army Aviation School, NonsanFounded 1 July 1957; at Nonsan since 1995; under Army Education Command
- Speciální operace letectva
- Geumwang, EumseongSpecial Operations Aviation Group with UH-60Ps, under Special Warfare Command
How the Republic of Korea Army Aviation is organised
Army Aviation Command at Icheon runs two combat aviation brigades, a maintenance brigade and a medical evacuation squadron; the Army Aviation School at Nonsan and the Special Operations Aviation Group, part of Special Warfare Command, complete the army’s aviation. Its striking power is 36 AH-64E Apaches, with AH-1S Cobras and 500MDs being replaced by the home-built LAH-1 Miron, and its lift is 210 KUH-1 Surions and licence-built UH-60P Black Hawks. A second batch of 36 Apaches was cancelled in July 2025.
Velitelství armádního letectva
The Republic of Korea Army’s aviation command at Icheon, formed as the Army Aviation Operations Command on 1 July 1989 by Namuwiki’s date (Korean Wikipedia gives 20 April 1999) and renamed on 1 December 2021. Its commander from April 2024, Maj. Gen. Yang Yun-seok, was suspended on 2 February 2026 during the martial-law investigation and cleared on 24 August 2026; Namuwiki listed Brig. Gen. Park Min-sang as acting commander in September 2026. The Chief of Staff of the Army is Gen. Kim Kyu-ha.
1st and 2nd Combat Aviation Brigades
The army’s two combat aviation brigades, the 2nd formed on 20 April 1999, with 36 AH-64E Apaches in two battalions since January 2017, AH-1S Cobras and 500MDs being retired, and the new LAH-1 Miron. Their stations are not given here.
Surion, Black Hawk and Chinook units
210 KUH-1 Surions delivered by June 2024, most of the roughly 130 UH-60P Black Hawks licence-built by Korean Air, and CH-47D Chinooks; eight KUH-1M Medions fly with the Medical Evacuation Aviation Squadron, activated on 1 May 2015.
Special Operations Aviation Group
Formed on 1 December 2017 under the aviation command and part of Special Warfare Command since 2019, with UH-60Ps. Its Black Hawks flew troops of the 707th Special Mission Group to the National Assembly on 3–4 December 2024, according to Namuwiki; Wikipedia counts 24 flights with 240 troops.
Aviation Maintenance Brigade
The command’s maintenance brigade, listed by Namuwiki.
Armádní letecká škola
Founded on 1 July 1957 and at Nonsan since 1995, under Army Education Command; trains pilots on the KUH-1 Surion. All 15 LAH-1 Mirons in service in June 2026 were here when flights were halted over engine corrosion and cracks.
What the Republic of Korea Army Aviation flies today
Každý typ na obvinění, propojený s jeho stránkou v Knize zvířat, kde nějaký existuje. Počty se vztahují na letadla v evidenci, nikoli na letadla dostupná v daný den.
| Typ | Role | V provozu | Od | Jednotky | Poznámky | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing AH-64E Apache GuardianV provozu | Útočný vrtulník | 36 | 2016 | 36 bought; a second batch of 36 was cancelled in 2025. | ||
| Bell AH-1S CobraV provozu | Útočný vrtulník | |||||
| Hughes/Korean Air 500MD and 500MD/TOW DefenderV provozu | Protitankový a průzkumný vrtulník | 1976 | About 250 acquired; how many remain is not published. | |||
| Sikorsky/Korean Air UH-60P Black HawkV provozu | vrtulník pro užitkové a speciální operace | Most of the roughly 130 licence-built by Korean Air since the 1990s; 36 with special operations aviation. | ||||
| Boeing CH-47D ChinookV provozu | Těžký vrtulník | |||||
| KAI KUH-1 SurionV provozu | Užitkový vrtulník | 210 | 2012 | 210 delivered by the end of production on 4 June 2024; Namuwiki gives about 220 or more including variants. | ||
| KAI KUH-1M MedionV provozu | Medical evacuation helicopter | 8 | 2020 | Eight delivered in 2020. | ||
| KAI LAH-1 MironV provozu | Lehce ozbrojený vrtulník | 2024 | At least 15 by June 2026, all at the Army Aviation School; 214 planned. | |||
| RQ-101 SonggolmaeV provozu | Průzkumný dron |
Na objednávku
| Typ | Objednané | První dodávka | Poznámky | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KAI LAH-1 MironNa objednávku | 214 | 2024 | Production plan approved on 28 November 2022: 214 aircraft and 5.75 trillion won to 2031. At least 15 delivered by June 2026, when flights were halted over engine corrosion and cracks. | |
| Boeing AH-64E Apache v6 upgradeNa objednávku | An upgrade package for the existing Apaches, approved by the US State Department on 19 May 2026 in a 4.2 billion dollar sale that also covered 24 MH-60Rs for the navy, according to Namuwiki.
VíceNo contract reported. |
Every type the Republic of Korea Army Aviation has retired
5 types, from the Piper L-4 Grasshopper and Stinson L-5 Sentinel to the Bell UH-1H Iroquois. Špičkové hodnoty se vztahují na počet draků letadel převzatých do provozu po celou dobu jejich životnosti, nikoli na počet letadel v daný den.
| Typ | Role | Vrchol | Obsluhováno | Nahrazeno | Poznámky | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell UH-1H Iroquois | Užitkový vrtulník | 1968–2020 | ||||
| Piper L-4 Grasshopper and Stinson L-5 Sentinel | Spojení | 1948– | L-19 | |||
| Cessna L-19 (O-1) Bird Dog | Pozorování a styk s veřejností | |||||
| Hughes OH-6 Cayuse | Lehký pozorovací vrtulník | |||||
| MBB Bo 105 | Lehký vrtulník |
Where South Korea’s army aviation flies from
Černé špendlíky označují aktivní základny, duté špendlíky označují uzavřená letiště. The army publishes few of its aviation stations: Icheon holds the command, Nonsan the aviation school and Geumwang the special operations Black Hawks. The brigades’ own airfields are not listed. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Báze | ICAO | Postavení | Dráha | Jednotky a letadla |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army Aviation School, NonsanSouth Chungcheong Province (Chungcheongnam-do), Nonsan | Aktivní |
|
||
| GeumwangSpecial Operations Aviation GroupNorth Chungcheong Province (Chungcheongbuk-do), Eumseong County | Aktivní |
|
||
| Icheon ArmyGyeonggi Province, Icheon (Dapo-dong) | Aktivní |
|
Tomuto vyhledávání neodpovídá žádná letecká základna.
Who is stationed where in the Republic of Korea Army Aviation
Létající jednotky podle základny, aktuální jednotky jako první. South Korean army aviation is organised in combat aviation brigades of battalions, with a separate special operations aviation group under Special Warfare Command since 2019. Only units whose stations are published in the sources for this page are placed on a base; where a station rests on Namuwiki alone, the entry says so.
- Army Aviation Command (육군항공사령부)Aviation command headquarters · active
- Army Aviation School (육군항공학교)Letecká škola · aktivní
- KAI KUH-1 Surion, KAI LAH-1 Miron
- Special Operations Aviation Group (특수작전항공단)Special operations helicopter group · active
- UH-60P Černý jestřáb
Žádná jednotka neodpovídá tomuto vyhledávání.
Republic of Korea Army Aviation milestones, 1914 to today
5 May: an aviation unit is formed in the constabulary; 13 September: it becomes the Army Aviation Command.
1 October: the army’s aviation leaves to become the Republic of Korea Air Force.
1 October: an aviation section is formed at Army Headquarters.
1 July: the Army Aviation School is founded.
12 December: the first UH-1 Hueys enter army service.
30 January: army aviation becomes a branch of the army.
The 500MD enters service, licence-built by Korean Air; the TOW version follows in 1977.
1 July: the Army Aviation Operations Command is formed, by Namuwiki’s date (Korean Wikipedia gives 20 April 1999).
29 May: a CH-47D breaks apart at the Olympic Bridge in Seoul; three killed.
December: the first KUH-1 Surions are delivered.
25 May: the first AH-64E arrives at Busan; all 36 are in service by 27 January 2017.
27 July: the UH-1H is retired after more than fifty years.
1 December: the command is renamed Army Aviation Command.
26 December: AH-1S Cobras are sent after North Korean drones and fail to down any.
3–4 December: Black Hawks fly troops to the National Assembly under martial law. 26 December: the first LAH Miron is delivered.
July: the second batch of 36 Apaches is cancelled.
2 February: the commander is suspended; cleared on 24 August. June: the Mirons are grounded over engine cracks.
Every operation South Korea’s army aviation has flown
Výpady a ztráty tam, kde je statistika udává, a poctivá prázdnota tam, kde ne.
- Korejská válka 1950–1953 Liaison and observation flying with light aircraft; the details are not documented in the sources reached
- Severokorejský vpád dronů 2022 AH-1S attack helicopters were sent after the drones together with air force fighters and a KA-1; none of the drones was brought down
Who built the Republic of Korea Army Aviation fleet
Každá společnost stojící za letouny na této stránce má svou vlastní stránku: příběh, každý typ, který postavila, čísla a další letectva, která s nimi létají.
Everything people ask about the Republic of Korea Army Aviation
What is South Korean army aviation called in Korean?
What helicopters does the South Korean army fly?
How many Apaches does South Korea have?
Why did South Korea cancel the second Apache order?
What is the LAH Miron?
Did army helicopters take part in the 2024 martial law?
Why was the Army Aviation Command commander suspended?
Where is South Korea’s Army Aviation Command?
Is South Korean army aviation older than the air force?
Read the aircraft the Republic of Korea Army Aviation flew
Každý typ se stránkou v Knize zvířat, nejprve v provozu a poté v roce, kdy opustil flotilu.
Každý fakt, ověřený
- Namuwiki: 육군항공사령부User-edited; used as a finding aid for the lineage (5 May 1948 to 1 October 1949; 1 October 1950; 23 January 1952; 1 February 1955; 17 October 1961; 30 January 1973; 1 July 1989; 1 December 2021), the headquarters at Icheon, the brigade structure, historic and current types, the commanders and the acting commander (page revision of 25 September 2026).
- Namuwiki: 대한민국 육군Army strength of 318,000 in May 2026; mentions the RQ-101 reconnaissance drone.
- Namuwiki: 특수작전항공단Special Operations Aviation Group: formed 1 December 2017 under the Army Aviation Operations Command, transferred to Special Warfare Command in 2019; Geumwang-eup, Eumseong; UH-60Ps; its role in flying the 707th Special Mission Group to the National Assembly on 3–4 December 2024 and the dismissal of its commander.
- Namuwiki: 양윤석Commander of 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade 2018–2019; commander of Army Aviation Command from April 2024; suspended 2 February 2026 during the martial-law investigation; not prosecuted, 24 August 2026.
- Namuwiki: AH-64/운용국Decision 17 April 2013; first aircraft at Busan 25 May 2016; deployment complete 27 January 2017, two battalions; the second batch approved 31 March 2021, its budget cut in November 2024 and July 2025; US approval of an AH-64E v6 upgrade package with 24 MH-60Rs on 19 May 2026.
- The Aviationist: Seoul Scraps Purchase of Additional AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters (7 July 2025)36 more Apaches scrapped; over 3 trillion won expected; unit price 73.3 billion won against 44.1 billion in the first batch; the supplementary budget of 4 July 2025 left 300 million won of 10 billion; US approval in August 2024 with 456 Hellfire and 152 JAGM missiles; MD 500 and AH-1S being retired; first two LAHs delivered 26 December 2024.
- Namuwiki: LAH-1 미르온Programme decided 20 July 2011; Airbus Helicopters partner 16 March 2015; first flight 4 July 2019; production plan of 28 November 2022 for 214 aircraft and 5.75 trillion won to 2031; first delivery 26 December 2024; engine corrosion and cracks reported on 13 June 2026 and flights halted.
- Namuwiki: 수리온Development from 2006; first flight 10 March 2010; first army deliveries December 2012; variants; the 2015–2017 icing and leak findings; the 2018 Marineon crash.
- Namuwiki: AH-1 코브라Says army AH-1S attack helicopters engaged the North Korean drones of December 2022 without success, drawing criticism.
- Hvězdy a pruhy: Jižní Korea rázně reaguje na vniknutí severokorejských dronů poblíž Soulu (26. prosince 2022)At least five North Korean drones, each about 6.5 feet long; a ROKAF KA-1 crashed on take-off and its two pilots escaped.
- Namuwiki: 500MDAbout 250 MD 500s for the army (500MD 1976, 500MD/TOW 1977), licence-built by Korean Air; trouble with mountain winds; the highest non-combat loss rate of the army’s helicopters; replaced by the LAH.
- Namuwiki: 육군항공학교Army Aviation School founded 1 July 1957; at Nonsan since moving from the present Sejong (then Yeongi County) in 1995; under Army Education Command; KUH-1 training; course of about 30 weeks.
- Namuwiki: UH-1First UH-1s in 1968; the army’s UH-1Hs all retired on 27 July 2020 after 50 years; the UH-1H crash near Sinbuk-eup, Chuncheon, on 15 February 2016; the navy’s last UH-1Hs retired on 6 September 2024.
Údaje ověřeny 1. října 2026. Stránky s pořadím bitev jsou regenerovány z jednoho datového souboru; pokud se zde uvedené číslo neshoduje se stránkou Knihy zvířat, je tato stránka z těchto dvou novější.
Photographs: Photo: Pfc Eun Jun Choi / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Greg Johnson / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Don Ramey Logan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, Germany / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)