Army temporarily grounds Apache helicopters amid US inspection for possible defect
The Korean Army has temporarily grounded its Apache military helicopters as U.S. authorities began inspections on the fleet over a possible malfunction of their transmission system, an Army official said Tuesday. The grounding of the AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters has been in place since early October, after the Army received a safety advisory from the U.S. military regarding the…
The Korean Army has temporarily grounded its Apache military helicopters pending inspections for a potential transmission system malfunction, an Army official announced on Tuesday. This grounding, which began early October, follows a safety advisory from the U.S. military regarding the transmission component, according to Army spokesperson Capt. Bae Seok-jin during a press briefing.
To ensure safety, the Army initiated phased technical inspections of the fleet in early October, with operations resuming sequentially based on inspection results. While routine training flights are suspended during this grounding period, the helicopters remain prepared for immediate operational deployment in case of a contingency.
The Army spokesperson reiterated that there are currently no readiness or operational concerns. The Apache helicopters, manufactured by Boeing, serve as a crucial asset for air-to-ground defense for the Korean military.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
