Army temporarily grounds Apache helicopters amid U.S. inspection for possible defect

The South Korean Army has temporarily grounded its Apache military helicopters as U.S. authorities began inspections on the fleet over a possible malfunction of their transmission system, an Army official said Tuesday.

The grounding of the AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters has been in place since early October, after the Army received a safety advisory from the U.S. military regarding the transmission component, Army spokesperson Capt. Bae Seok-jin said in a press briefing.

"As a safety precaution, the Army temporarily grounded the fleet in early October (for the U.S. side) to conduct technical inspections in phases," Bae said. "Operations will resume sequentially based on the inspection results."

While routine training flights are paused during the grounding, the helicopters usually stand ready for an immediate operational launch in the event of a contingency.

"There are currently no issues with our readiness or operational posture," the Army spokesperson added.

Manufactured by Boeing, the Apache helicopters serve as a key asset for air-to-ground defense for the South Korean military, which currently operates a fleet of 36 units.

The U.S. Army issued a statement early last month on the temporary pause of flight operations for Apache helicopters, citing technical assessments of their transmission systems.

The inspections follow an August crash of an Apache helicopter in Texas that killed two U.S. soldiers. The same model also went down during a patrol operation near the Strait of Hormuz in June for reasons that have not been identified.

Other countries operating the Apache chopper appear to be taking the same step. Taiwan also grounded the helicopters last month, local media have reported.