Here is some more information about the potential sale of AH-64 Apaches to Korea:
South Korea is buying 36 recently retired U.S. AH-64D Apache helicopter gunships. With refurbishment, each would cost $27 million. That’s about half what brand new, similarly equipped Apaches would cost. South Korea will be replacing elderly AH-1 gunships. The AH-64Ds would be delivered over the next four years.
South Korea wanted to develop its own helicopter gunship design, but that would have been much more costly, and depended on export sales to break even. The locally designed gunships would end up costing the South Korea Army about three times what they are paying for the American refurbed choppers. Since aircraft are constantly rebuilt over their service lives, there’s no difference in performance between new AH-64Ds, and the refurbs. The one difference would be higher maintenance cost for the refurbs down the line, because some of the components already had some wear on them when they entered South Korean service.
Many South Korean politicians and industry leaders want to go ahead with developing the Korea Attack Helicopter (KAH) anyway, and get the AH-64Ds mainly to upgrade the helicopter gunship capability. The first KAH would not be ready for service for another ten years. [Strategy Page]
It is looking like Korea really is getting a bargain from the rebuilds without any loss in capabilities.
Popularity: 3%
1:55 pm on June 3rd, 2008 1
In other words, Korea hasn’t figured out how to copy the Japanese in Helicopter making, so they buy American left overs.
2:00 pm on June 3rd, 2008 2
The freakin article says ‘potential’ sales you moron. They haven’t bought the piece of shiatte American junk yet.
2:17 pm on June 3rd, 2008 3
you make me smile US must leave!
4:54 pm on June 3rd, 2008 4
Yes. Pass up on the finest attack helicopter in the world because of Anti-Americanism and Corea-Pride™
You should run for President.
5:02 pm on June 3rd, 2008 5
“piece of shiatte American junk”
A relative term considering the KAH or KMH or whatever they are calling it now will most likely be a generation or two behind any American “junk” by 2018. Assuming it survives that long, of course.
But you have the right idea, the US must leave Korea- so Korea can finally foot the bill for its own defense. Unfortunately, in the greater scheme of things, I dont think the ROK MND will tire of suckling the US DOD tit for quite some time.
7:41 am on June 4th, 2008 6
I found a bone fragment in an Apache helicopter? Corea should ban their import!
No Apache Helicopter!
No Apache Helicopter!
No Apache Helicopter!
9:19 am on June 4th, 2008 7
i love how Korean cupid continues to advertise on this site.
3:49 pm on June 4th, 2008 8
American Helicopters suffer from excentric rotary syndrom. There is a 1 in 10 billion chance the hellfires won’t blow the top off nK tanks. (just roast the crew and render it unusable) There is also a special Korean gene that makes ROK military personnel more likely to export the technology once we sell it to them. Problems everywhere.