Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Light Attack Helicopter (LAH) succesfully completed its first flight at the company’s Sacheon production plant.

The crew of two pilots conducted a 20 minute flight.

“I am thankful to all the people who made efforts for the successful first flight of the LAH,” says KAI chief executive Kim Jo-won.

The LAH was co-developed with Airbus which supplied its H155/EC155B1 as the basis for the new helicopter which is expected to replace the AH-1 Cobra and MD500 in the South Korean Army.

Is powered by the also new Safran Arriel 2L2 engine. A civilian derivative, the Light Civilian Helicopter or LCH, will be developed next and will use the Arriel 2C2.

The Army intends to buy up to 214 LAH helicopters starting 2022.