KAI Completes Delivery of the First Surion Forest Service version and the First Surion Fire Fighting version
Sacheon, 24 May 2018 – Korea Aerospace Industries LTD. (KAI) announced that the Company delivered a Korean Utility Helicopter-1Emergency Medical, KUH-1EM, which bears the name “Halla-Mae”, to Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters on 23 May. In addition, KAI completed the delivery of the KUH-1FS, the Surion Forest Service version to the Korea Forest Service (KFS) last Saturday.
This marks the first time that the KFS, which owns the most 45 helicopters and the National Fire Agency, which owns 29 helicopters run its indigenous helicopter.
“We will provide our full support for the KUH-1EM and the KUH-1FS to seek its operational stabilization at an early stage for public safety” said an official at KAI.
The Surion fire-fighting helicopter, based on the excellent performances of the Surion developed as a multi-purpose copter has additionally equipped with high-tech devices to make it conduct its diverse missions. The state-of-the-art devices include the search & rescue, emergency patient-transporting, fire-suppressing, and transportation equipment.
KAI further installed the EMS Kit including an oxygen supply device, an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator, and a respirator, an external hoist for quick life-saving, a SAR-DF which provides the information of the location where emergency alarm occurs.
On the other hand, the Surion Forest helicopter conducts its major missions, such as prevention and suppression of forest fire and rescue activity upon occurrence of mountain accidents. Given that the copter can fly at the maximum speed of 240km/h in a full 2,000-liter water tank in its rear side, the plane is expected to play a big role of accomplishing its mission within a golden time.
The utilization of the searchlight and the state-of-the-art avionics equipment mounted onto the Surion Forest Helicopter could possibly put out a forest fire at night.
These both Surion helicopters are equipped with an external hoist in order to wage a rescue operation in a mountainous region. In addition, they are mounted with a Korea-styled Digital Moving Map, an Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System and an Automatic Flight Control system, which enables the plane to perform its duties even in rough weather, increasing the convenience of the pilot.
The number of the homegrown helicopters by KAI which the Korean government purchased so far reaches 12 units in total, breaking down Korea Forest Service at 1, Jeju Fire Station at 1, National Police Agency at 8 and Korea Coast Guard at 2.
