The S-92A+, manufactured by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Lockheed Martin, has been selected as President Lee Jae-myung's new presidential "command helicopter," with purchase test evaluations and negotiations currently underway.
The new "Command Helicopter-II" program, which will procure a total of four units with an investment of 870 billion won, is being managed by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The new command helicopter is scheduled for introduction and operation as early as 2030, meaning President Lee is expected to board it in the final year of his term.
According to reporting by The Seoul Economic Daily on the 19th, DAPA selected Sikorsky's S-92A+ as the target model through a proposal evaluation for the Command Helicopter-II program late last year. The aircraft is an upgraded version of the existing presidential helicopter, the VH-92.
Purchase test evaluations of the target company and negotiations for a final contract are currently in progress. A final contract is expected to be signed as early as the second half of the year. The Command Helicopter-II program has a budget of $628.3 million and will be conducted as a foreign commercial purchase.
"The Command Helicopter-II program is proceeding according to relevant procedures to ensure timely force buildup," a DAPA official said. "After selecting the target model and company through proposal evaluation, we are currently conducting purchase test evaluations and aim to sign a contract within 2026."
The new command helicopter, featuring enhanced survivability and command-and-control capabilities, is scheduled to be secured by 2031. Four units will be purchased, with the first introduction expected in the early 2030s. The aircraft shares the same platform as Marine One, the U.S. presidential helicopter, with proven stability and reliability.
The command helicopter is known as "a mini office in the sky." As the dedicated helicopter for the president, who serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, it is equipped with top-tier command-and-control (C4I) systems linked in real time to the National Crisis Management Center, as well as cutting-edge electronic warfare defense systems capable of countering various weapon attacks.
Unlike Code One, the presidential aircraft used for overseas trips, the presidential helicopter is deployed for short-distance domestic travel, including regional site visits. It is equipped with radar warning receivers, infrared jammers, missile tracking decoys, advanced navigation equipment, radar, and electro-optical thermal imaging systems.
Aside from the command helicopter that the president actually boards, the remaining two presidential helicopters are operated as "decoy (and reserve) helicopters." Decoy helicopters of the same model fly simultaneously, making it difficult to determine which helicopter the president is aboard, a measure designed to protect the president's safety.
The current presidential helicopter is the VH-92, a VIP-modified version of the 14-seat S-92 manufactured by Sikorsky. The government selected the S-92 in the summer of 2004 and purchased three units in 2007, three years later, operating them for 19 years. The replacement cycle of 10 years has been exceeded by nine years.
Typically, custom ordering, production, test evaluation, and force deployment take three years. However, if the final contract is signed for the same Sikorsky S-92A+, the introduction timing is expected to be expedited. With operational evaluation and pilot adaptation periods dramatically reduced, the timeline could be moved up to 2029.
"It also took three years from when the existing presidential helicopter model was decided in 2004 until actual operation," a military source said. "But if the target model for this Command Helicopter-II program is the same aircraft, test evaluation and pilot adaptation periods will be reduced, accelerating the actual operation timing."
