South Korea plans to procure more Apache helicopters after budget cut

Seoul, July 6 (IANS) The South Korean government's plan to purchase 36 additional AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will likely be scrapped after a massive budget cut, a lawmaker noted Sunday.

According to Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the main opposition People Power Party and the defence ministry, the budget for the project was cut from an initial 10 billion won (US$7.3 million) to just 300 million won in the supplementary budget passed by the National Assembly on Friday.

The remaining funds will reportedly be used for another project.

The move follows a May decision by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to formally review the procurement and explore alternative options, including manned-unmanned systems, according to Yoo.

Calling the decision a "positive development," Yoo noted the U.S. Army is also moving away from the aged, high-maintenance Apaches in favour of advanced drone assets like the Grey Eagle to modernise its forces, reported Yonhap news agency.

From the AH-64A in 1984 to today’s AH-64E, one thing about the Apache hasn’t changed: its reputation as the world’s most advanced and proven attack helicopter.

With more than 1,280 aircraft in operation, accumulating over five million flight hours, 1.3 million of which have been in combat, the AH-64 Apache represents the backbone of the U.S. Army’s attack helicopter fleet and a growing number of international defence forces.

With the AH-64E in production until at least 2028, the Apache will serve the US Army and its partner nations as the world’s primary attack helicopter into the 2060s.

As Boeing and the US Army continue to invest in next-generation technologies, the Apache brings affordable Modular Open Systems Architecture capability to serve as a centrepiece in the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) battlefield for decades to come.

--IANS

int/bpd/dan