Mir-On, the domestically developed Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) set to lead a generational shift in our military, recently had an engine defect confirmed, and all operations have been suspended.
According to the office of Kang Sun-young of the People Power Party, a member of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, on the 13th, corrosion was found in 47 of the 57 Mir-On engines assembled and delivered by Hanwha Aerospace. In addition, 38 of those showed hairline-like cracks.
Fifteen helicopters equipped with this engine and deployed to the Army Aviation School also showed the same symptoms in most airframes upon inspection. After first recognizing the issue in April, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration last month issued a flight ban on all affected aircraft to ensure safety.
Mir-On's powerplant is based on an engine from French defense company Safran, assembled and supplied domestically by Hanwha Aerospace. The problematic area is a component called the "diffuser," which stabilizes internal airflow. Differences in the assembly process from Safran's original manufacturing method are being raised as a possible cause.
Developed to replace the aging 500MD and Cobra (AH-1S) helicopters, Mir-On is a key asset that carries domestically produced air-to-surface missiles such as "Cheonjom." More than 160 units were scheduled to be deployed to aviation battalions by 2031.