South Korea advances military fleet with LAH‑1 Miron helicopters
The KAI Corporation has commenced deliveries of the multirole combat helicopters, LAH-1 Miron, intended for the South Korean army. Developed by the Korean industry, these machines, also known as light attack helicopters, are designed to complement the fleet of South Korean AH-64E Guardians.
Seoul has ordered approximately 40 units of the new helicopters. LAH-1 Miron, whose target number is anticipated to be around 100 machines, will replace the decommissioned Bell AH-1S Cobras and MD500 Defenders in the armed forces by 2031.
The new helicopters will simultaneously complement the heavier and more specialised attack machines ordered by Seoul, such as the AH-64E Guardian.
LAH-1 Miron – a new helicopter from South Korea
LAH-1 Miron is a new combat helicopter developed under the KHP (Korean Helicopter Program). The KHP programme includes the heavier multirole machine KUH-1 Surion and the lighter, classified as either a multirole or light attack helicopter, LAH-1 Miron, developed since 2021.
Although the LAH-1 was developed by the South Korean corporation KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries), the machine is based on the proven European design of the Airbus AS365 Dauphin.
TAipers anti-tank guided missile
The LAH-1 Miron helicopter is equipped with an optoelectronic TADS (Target Acquisition Designation System) head, and its standard armament is a three-barrelled, powered 20 mm cannon. The helicopter can also carry air-to-ground weapons developed by the local industry, including the TAipers anti-tank guided missiles (also known as Chungum) with a range of 8 kilometres.
This is a new, Korean-developed anti-tank weapon capable of attacking targets that are invisible and beyond the line of sight (NLOS), as well as independently searching for them. Production of the pilot batch of TAipers missiles has already begun, and their entry into service is planned for 2026.
