The possibility of exporting South Korea’s indigenous helicopter, Surion, to Iraq is increasing. Following visits by high-ranking Iraqi military officials, the Iraqi Defense Minister’s visit to South Korea has heightened discussions about the introduction of the Surion. The potential first export of the domestic helicopter is drawing near, stirring interest in how it might expand the horizon for K-defense industry.
On March 20, according to industry sources, the Iraqi Defense Minister, Jumaah Enad Saadoon, met with Kang Goo-young, the president of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), at KAI’s Seoul office. It is known that Minister Saadoon and President Kang discussed cooperation, including a contract for the Surion.
Iraq has emerged as a strong candidate for the Surion’s first export destination. Just this month, several Iraqi military officials have visited South Korea in succession to examine the Surion. Samir Zaki Hussein Al-Maliki, the Iraqi Army Aviation Commander, observed the operation of the Surion variant, a medium helicopter dubbed the “White Eagle,” at KAI’s headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, earlier this month and even took it for a test flight.
Surion is the first domestically produced utility helicopter in South Korea. Under the supervision of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, with contributions from the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and KAI, its development began in 2006. Deployed in the South Korean Army in 2012, Surion has been utilized as a utility and medevac helicopter, marking 11 years of service this year, yet it has never been successfully exported. KAI has been marketing the chopper aggressively, highlighting the stable operation record of over 200 military and government helicopters in South Korea.
KAI has particularly focused on penetrating the Middle East market. Last year, KAI showcased Surion at the Dubai Airshow and the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) in the United Arab Emirates. It was the first time Surion was physically presented at an overseas air show, starting with the Dubai Airshow. The Middle East is known as a "big spender" in the international arms import market, accounting for 30% of the global arms import market share, with the highest ratio of defense spending to GDP among major continents.
KAI’s experience in selling fighter jets to Iraq is also seen as a positive factor. In 2013, Iraq signed a purchase agreement for the FA-50 (Iraqi export model name T-50IQ), including 24 aircraft, for about US$1.1 billion, marking the largest scale in domestic aerospace export history at the time. This sale, which included aircraft, pilot training, and follow-up logistics support as a package, was the first of its kind for an Iraqi export.
Meanwhile, Minister Saadoon held a meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook this morning. It is known that they also discussed consultations for purchasing the Surion. Minister Saadoon expressed that “introducing South Korea’s advanced weapons, which have been proven in performance through excellent technology and decades of operational experience, to Iraq would help strengthen Iraq’s national defense.”