S.Korea to Buy AH-64E Heavy Attack Helicopters

South Korea’s Defense Project Promotion Committee has given the green light to the military’s plan to purchase U.S.-made AH-64E heavy attack helicopters.

The procurement is expected to cost to approximately 3.3 trillion-won (approximately $2.5 billion).

Seoul has sought to buy AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters amid its push to counter evolving military threats from North Korea, Yonhap reported today.

The project involves overseas purchasing of the attack helicopters to provide real-time support for aerial firepower and guarantee attack speeds during the execution of aggressive deep maneuver operations by the Army’s maneuver divisions.

The South Korean Army completed the deployment of 36 AH-64E helicopters in early 2017. In September 2022, the committee approved a 400 billion-won ($295 million) plan to upgrade these helicopters.