South Korea Selects ‘Marine One’ Upgrade for New Presidential Helicopter

Translation resultThe government plans to spend 870 billion KRW (652.5 million USD) to buy four new presidential command helicopters, selecting Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky’s S-92A+ — an upgraded variant of the current presidential helicopter — as the preferred model. Officials say the aircraft’s improved survivability and shortened testing timeline could allow operations to begin as early as 2029.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) is managing the “Command Helicopter–II” procurement. DAPA selected Sikorsky’s S-92A+ late last year after evaluating proposals. The agency is now conducting purchase flight tests of the shortlisted manufacturer and negotiating a final contract, with hopes of signing later this year.The program carries a budget of 870 billion KRW (652.5 million USD) and will proceed as an overseas commercial purchase. A DAPA official said the agency is pushing the program through required steps to keep schedule and is aiming to finalize a contract in 2026.DAPA plans to field helicopters with enhanced survivability and command-and-control capability by 2031. The purchase will include four airframes, with first deliveries expected in the early 2030s. The S-92A+ is built on the same platform used for the U.S. presidential helicopter, Marine One, a design with proven reliability.Known as a “mini airborne office,” the command helicopter houses high-end command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems that link in real time to the national crisis management center. It also carries advanced electronic-warfare defenses to counter a range of threats. Unlike the presidential fixed-wing aircraft “Code One,” the presidential helicopter handles short domestic hops and regional site visits.Equipment includes radar warning receivers, infrared countermeasures, missile-tracking decoys, advanced navigation systems, radar and electro-optical/infrared sensors. Of the presidential helicopter fleet, one will serve as the president’s primary command helicopter and two others will operate as decoys/backups. Deploying identical aircraft simultaneously makes it harder for adversaries to determine which helicopter the president is aboard, enhancing security.The current presidential helicopters are VH-92s, VIP-configured versions of Sikorsky’s 14-seat S-92. The government selected the S-92 in 2004 and bought three units in 2007; those airframes have served 19 years, nine years beyond the typical 10-year replacement cycle. Custom production, testing and operational integration normally take about three years. If the authorities sign a contract for the same Sikorsky S-92A+ model, officials expect the timeline to accelerate: testing and pilot transition periods would be shorter, potentially bringing initial operations forward to 2029.A military source noted that the previous presidential helicopter also required three years from model selection to operational use and said, “Because the Command Helicopter–II candidate is the same type, the testing and pilot adaptation period will shrink, so actual operational timing should come sooner.”