KAI chopper passes Korean military’s ice test

Surion, a twin-engine utility helicopter developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), passed an ice test by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, which manages procurement for the Korean military, the company said Monday.

The test evaluates whether a helicopter can fly in minus 30-degree Celsius (minus 22-degree Fahrenheit) environment for at least 30 minutes without ice forming inside.

The KUH-1 Surion copters faced doubts about its safety after it failed to meet some of the criteria during its first ice test conducted from October 2015 to March 2016.

In order to pass its second test, the company resolved some of the few problems that surfaced in the first test, KAI said in a statement.

The company expects the passing score to help with sales and delivery of the helicopter.

“From now on, we will provide our fullest support for the plane to successfully carry out its missions to defend our military and people,” a KAI spokesperson said.

By Kim Jee-hee