KAI, Bell Textron sign MOU on South Korea’s next-generation high-speed utility helicopter

KAI signed an MOU with Bell Textron on April 27 (local time) to develop a solution for South Korea’s next-generation high-speed medium utility helicopter (HSMUH). Cho Jeong-il, head of KAI’s rotorcraft business division, and Jeff Schloesser, senior vice president for strategic business at Bell Textron, pose for a photo with officials from both companies. [Photo=Korea Aerospace Industries]

Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, said April 29 it signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. aircraft maker Bell Textron on April 27 (local time) to jointly develop a solution for South Korea’s next-generation high-speed medium utility helicopter, known as HSMUH.

The signing ceremony was held at Bell Textron’s headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. Attendees included Cho Jeong-il, head of KAI’s rotorcraft business division, and Jeff Schloesser, senior vice president for strategic business at Bell Textron, the company said.

KAI said the agreement is aimed at a joint response to South Korea’s HSMUH program, aligned with U.S. government priorities and policy, based on the MV-75 being developed by Bell Textron in cooperation with the U.S. Army as a next-generation vertical lift aircraft.

The MV-75 was officially selected for the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, or FLRAA, program and is now in system development at Bell Textron. Bell Textron announced on April 15 (local time) that the aircraft’s official name will be “Cheyenne II.”

The companies said their partnership reflects a shared vision for a next-generation vertical lift aircraft based on the MV-75, with major improvements in speed, range and maneuverability to deliver top-tier tiltrotor performance.

They said they will also review solutions that use a Modular Open Systems Approach, or MOSA, to enable rapid and cost-effective upgrades to weapon systems, and will explore broader industrial cooperation opportunities as the project is further defined.

“This cooperation will be an opportunity to make a major leap in the South Korean military’s next-generation aviation operational capabilities,” Cho said. He said KAI will combine its proven system development capabilities with Bell Textron’s advanced technology to help the military secure a flexible and powerful weapon system able to respond quickly to a rapidly changing battlefield.

Schloesser said the MV-75 is “a platform that showcases the essence of next-generation vertical lift technology.” He said South Korea’s HSMUH program will be an important opportunity to expand those capabilities into the global market and strengthen interoperability between the United States and its allies.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Han Jiyeon hanji@ajunews.com