The KAI KUH-1 Surion is a twin-engine, transport utility helicopter development of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) jointly with Eurocopter.
The KAI KUH-1 Surion is a multipurpose rotorcraft that could accommodate up to nine troops along with four crew members; two pilots and two gunners in the main cabin area, in a utility transport capacity. The rotorcraft has been built to be quickly reconfigured to be in service for different roles, some are also configured as a navalised aircraft. The KUH-1 Surion is a very versatile rotorcraft and is designed to perform different roles such as military transport, police aviation, aerial reconnaissance, search and rescue, maritime support, aerial fighting, and for other civilian operations together with other missions.
A pair of Hanwha Techwin T700-ST-701K turboshaft engines power the KUH-1 Surion. Each engine produces a maximum thrust of 1,600 shaft horsepower. It is a license-built localized development of the T700 by General Electric. The Surion has a maximum cruise speed of 153 knots and a travel range of 286 nautical miles. It can fly up to 15,100 feet and can climb at a rate of 1,700 feet per minute.
The Surion is designed with different survivability and damage reduction qualities. The airframe and the cockpit were bulletproof against firearms. It has an external length of 19 meters, a tail height of 4.5 meters, and a fuselage diameter of 2 meters. The airframe, tail rotor, and the rotor blades on the main and tail rotors have the ability to protect the occupants during an impact; it is also equipped with anti-explosion sealed fuel tanks.
The main gearbox can fly for a restricted period after experiencing loss of lubricating oil. Certain electronic defensive measures are also attached to the Surion including a countermeasure dispenser system (CMDS), radar warning receiver (RWR) to detect and issue a warning in case of a threat, and laser warning receiver (LWR) for passive military defense. Navigation and communication equipment were supplied by Cobham plc, and a helicopter terrain awareness and warning system is supplied by Sandel Avionics.
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