Korea Likely to Buy Apache Helicopters

The Army is poised to acquire a consignment of Apache helicopters. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, in a report to the National Assembly's Defense Committee, said Wednesday it decided to buy large attack helicopters to replace the Army's superannuated 500MD and AH-1 attack choppers. It is to decide which model to buy and sign a contract by October next year.

Although DAPA did not specify the model or numbers, sources speculate that the likeliest decision is to buy 36 of the newest Apache Block III helicopters from the U.S., enough for two battalions. Each costs somewhere between W35 billion and W40 billion (US$1=W1,088), and the entire project is expected to cost W2 trillion in total.

The Army has tried to buy new Apache attack choppers since the 1990s, but budget problems and controversy over cost effectiveness put a spoke in the wheels.

Read more