Korea eyes Russian copters as part of make-good deal
Russia and South Korea are negotiating for the South Korean navy to take some Kamov Ka-32 helicopters to settle part of a debt owed by Russia to the Asian

Russia and South Korea are negotiating for the South Korean navy to take some Kamov Ka-32 helicopters to settle part of a debt owed by Russia to the Asian country. The proposed deal is part of wider Korean military plans to acquire up to 30 Russian helicopters of various types through 2012. South Korea intends to form a new naval air wing operating from its Darko patrol ships, and to extend its airborne operations to include multirole and attack helicopters.

South Korea was the first export customer for Ansat light helicopters built by Kazan, but the July 2006 crash of one of the aircraft operated by the country’s forestry service cast a shadow over this sale. Earlier this month, a preliminary investigation attributed the fatal accident to “external factors” and this apparent exoneration has prompted Kazan to resume sales efforts.