Airbus Helicopters signed this Monday in Seoul a contract of €1.500 million with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for the production of over 300 civil and military helicopters, as a spokesperson of the European group announced.
“This contract is exceptional for its magnitude and it is based in the development and production of 214 military helicopters and a hundred civilian ones destined to the civil market and Korean public sector such as public security, emergency and rescue, electrical lines over watch, etc” declared to AFP Mr. Norbert Ducrot, vice-president of Airbus Helicopters in North Asia.
The contract “represents € 1.500 million for Airbus Helicopters during 20 years”, he specified.
The contest was launched in June of 2014. The subsidiary of Airbus, number one in the production of civil helicopters, competed with its model LCH against Agusta Westland and their AW 169 and against Bell Helicopters with their Bell 430.
El LCH (Light Civil Helicopter) will also serve as a basis for the development of a derivate military helicopter, the LAH (Light Armed Helicopter), for the South Korean Ground Forces.
The first deliveries of the LHC and the entry into service of the LAH are scheduled for 2021 and 2022 respectively.
