News has emerged out of South Korea that the country’s plans for a follow-on buy of 36 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters have been aborted. These aircraft would have joined 36 AH-64s already procured for Republic of Korea (ROK) service.
The Korea Times reports that the $2.2B deal was cancelled after the funding was nearly zeroed out in a supplemental budget that was approved last Friday. The outlet also noted the 66% increase in cost of the aircraft compared to the first order around a decade ago. Talk that South Korea could cancel its follow-on Apache order had been present for some time now.
Yu Yong-weon, a member of South Korea’s National Assembly belonging to the People Power Party, told The Korea Times that the vulnerability of helicopters to proliferated air defenses and loitering munitions/drones that have been showcased to the world in Ukraine spurred the decision. Yu stated: “Drones and smart systems are redefining modern battlefields… Rather than clinging to expensive legacy platforms, we must invest in capabilities that reflect the future of warfare.”
As TWZ has noted for years now, well before Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, the attack helicopter’s utility has to be questioned. This doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant, it means the rationale behind how many resources are poured into this class of aircraft has to be reevaluated based on the glaring realities of today’s battlespace, let alone what we can predict for that of tomorrow.
Survivability is certainly at the top of the list here. How can a low and slow-flying helicopter operate close enough to its objective to be useful in a traditional direct attack sense without being put at extreme risk? New tactics and combined arms concepts can certainly go a long way here, but pop-up threats — such as man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), road-mobile SAMs and anti-aircraft artillery — that are very hard to predict and thus harder to plan for, remain a glaring issue.
The proliferation of look-down radar capabilities and advanced long-range air defense systems also pose huge threats to attack helicopters. This is especially so as sensor fidelity and advanced networking capabilities continue to expand, along with a range of counter-air missile technology. The exploitation of the radar horizon and terrain masking will be less effective at providing some protection from these threats with each passing year.
