The Surion chopper, developed by South Korea’s sole aircraft-maker Korea Aerospace Industries, will feature its digital display screen and advanced control as parts of its marketing efforts, the company said Thursday.

Employing an integrated avionics suite from the Swiss-based American technology firm Garmin, KAI will change the face of Surion’s cockpit design and offer easier control of the chopper, it said. 


The upgraded model will be rolled out in 2019 both for public and private use. By adopting smart technology, KAI is pinning hopes to win more bids from state-run agencies and overseas market.

“To expand the Surion’s exports and appeal to the market for choppers in public use, we decided to reflect various needs from customers and upgrade the existing model,” said Han Jeong-eun, a PR representative at KAI’s Seoul office, adding that KAI is seeking to secure bids from the maritime police that wants to deploy two new choppers.

The Surion will feature computer-controlled digital interface with flat-panel display screens, replacing complicated control units that occupied much of the space inside the chopper. Piloting will also become easier, she added.

The chopper deploying the upgraded cockpit design was displayed at an annual exhibition on maritime safety held in Songdo near Incheon.

KAI expects to win more contracts from Korean government agencies and to target overseas markets afterward.

Most of the government agencies deployed foreign helicopters before the Surion’s debut. KAI believes the market for helicopters for public use will grow. By 2030, the government is expected to buy about 80 new choppers, which are estimated cost about 2 trillion won.

The KAI KUH-1 Surion is a twin-engine, transport utility helicopter developed primarily by KAI.

Since its first flight test in 2010, the helicopter has been adapted for both military and non-military missions.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)