S. Korea donates 8 retired military helicopters to Kenya

South Korea has donated eight decommissioned military helicopters to Kenya, fulfilling a pledge to assist U.N. peacekeeping missions in the region, officials announced on Friday. A ceremony commemorating the donation of the eight MD 500 Defenders took place at the Kenya Army Corps of Aviation in Nairobi, according to the defense ministry.

This gesture follows South Korea's commitment to provide helicopters to U.N. peacekeeping operations across Africa, which was made during the U.N. peacekeeping ministerial meeting held in Seoul in 2021. The United States has agreed to maintain the helicopters and facilitate their transportation to Kenya. Since late 2023, eight MD 500 Defenders have been transferred to the U.S., where they underwent maintenance and repair for approximately two years.

The upgraded aircraft arrived in Kenya last month, awaiting deployment following successful completion of all flight tests, officials said. The defense ministry intends to further increase its contributions to U.N. peacekeeping missions. Around 200 people attended the event held on Friday.