South Korea grounds locally made LAH-1 Miron helicopters due to engine defects
L'essentiel
- South Korea's military has grounded its locally manufactured LAH-1 Miron helicopters after defects were found in their engines.
- The defense procurement agency discovered corrosion and cracks in 47 of the 57 helicopters assembled by Hanwha Aerospace, leading to their suspension.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
South Korea's military has suspended the flight of locally manufactured LAH-1 Miron helicopters after defects were found in engines. The defense procurement agency discovered corrosion in the engines of 47 among 57 Miron choppers.
SEOUL, June 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military has suspended the flight of locally manufactured LAH-1 Miron helicopters after defects were found in engines, according to a lawmaker on Saturday.
The defense procurement agency had discovered in April corrosion in the engines of 47 among 57 Miron choppers assembled and supplied by Hanwha Aerospace Co. and has suspended their operations, according to Rep. Kang Sun-young of the opposition People Power Party (PPP).
Cracks, possibly due to corrosion, were also found in the engines of 38 vehicles, the lawmaker added.
The engines used in the armed helicopters were originally developed by the French aerospace technology company Safran S.A. Hanwha is the local producer and supplier of the military choppers.
The defect is said to have occurred in the diffusers, a component used to stabilize the airflow in the engines, possibly during the assembly process, according to officials.
Hanwha Aerospace defended its assembly process as being "in line with" the original manufacturer's requirements, noting that the company was not mandated to seek further approval from Safran.
The LAH-1 Miron was introduced to the military to replace aging 500MD and AH-1S Cobra single-engine attack helicopters. The military plans to have some 160 Miron choppers operational by 2031.
The defense procurement agency said it plans to inspect and improve its quality management systems, following the incident.
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
Defense procurement agency to revise quality management systems.
Très probable · En quelques mois
Questions ouvertes
- What is the exact cause of the corrosion?
- Will Safran S.A. be involved in the repair process?
- What is the timeline for fixing the defects?
