KAH-106 Bonghwang

KAH-106 Bonghwang
KAH-106 Bonghwang flies over Gwangju Metropolitan City.
Role	Attack helicopter
National origin	Joseon
Manufacturer	Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd.
First flight	January 14 2006
Introduction	9 April 2009(Block I) 6 May 2031(Block II)
Status	In service
Primary user	Royal Joseon Army
Produced	2006-Present

The Korea Aerospace Industries KAH-106 Bonghwang is a Joseon's twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. Nose-mounted sensors help acquire targets and provide night vision. It carries a 30 mm (1.18 in) KM208 chain gun under its forward fuselage and 4 hardpoints on stub-wing pylons for armament and stores, typically AGM-41 missiles and Doksa-70 rocket pods. Redundant systems help it survive combat damage.

The KAH-106 began to be developed in 2001 as the army's next-generation large attack helicopter, with the first prototype flying in 2006. Today, KAH-106 has been extensively improved to ensure its viability and diversify its role as drones expand their role on the battlefield.

Like all other combat equipment and vehicles of the Royal Joseon Armed Forces, the KAH-106 is also integrated into the Joseon's Battle Management System(BMS), 'Gongmyeong-2E,' sharing real-time information about battlefields and changes in conditions with other units and aircraft, vehicles, and ships.

Development

Until the early 2000s, the main attack helicopter of the Royal Joseon Army was the KH-601 'Chamsae' equipped with anti-tank missiles and rockets. However, the KH-601 did not escape the basic limits of a lightweight reconnaissance helicopter, and even the slightest bad weather, which could be easily overcome by a large helicopter, was a threat to the KH-601.

The Royal Joseon Armed Forces felt the need for a more effective large attack helicopter to replace KH-601. The Joseon military noted that Neo-Korea's helicopters at the time of the Invasion of Jungg'o effectively deterred Jungg'o's troops. It proved that attack helicopters were effective in deterring large numbers of troops with only a few troops on the battlefield. Eventually, the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly approved the Ministry of Defense's plan to develop a new attack helicopter.

Korea Aerospace Industries(KAI), which was the main contractor of the project, had to design a completely new aircraft frame. This was because none of Joseon's existing helicopters were suitable for converting to attack helicopters. After the project began, it took three years for the basic design of the aircraft to be finalized. To meet the military's demand to quickly replace KH-601, KAI immediately started the entire process needed to prototype after the design was finalized.

The first prototype of the new attack helicopter, the XH-106, made its first flight on January 14, 2006. However, the project faced a crisis when the budget for new attack helicopters was drastically cut in the 2007 Ministry of Defense budget, during which the Ministry of Defense and the Army strongly appealed the need for an attack helicopter while delaying the purchase budget for the new tank until next year to prevent budget cuts. Eventually, the budget for the new attack helicopter remained the same during the 2007 budget review process, and the budget for the new tank was maintained due to the National Assembly's National Defense Committee's criticism, resulting in the Army protecting the project without losing money.

The first KAH-106 attack helicopter was delivered to The 1st Combat Aviation Brigade in April 2009.

Design

The KAH-106 Bonghwang has a five-blade main rotor and a four-blade tail rotor. The crew sits in tandem, with the pilot sitting behind and above the co-pilot/gunner. Both crew members are capable of flying the aircraft and performing methods of weapon engagements independently. The KAH-106 is powered by two Hanwha Aerospace TST-6 turboshaft engines with high-mounted exhausts on either side of the fuselage.

The crew compartment and rotor blades are designed to sustain a hit from 23 mm (0.91 in) rounds. The airframe includes some 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) of protection and has a self-sealing fuel system to protect against ballistic projectiles. The crew compartment also incorporates a transparent blast shield between the pilot and gunner seats so that at least one crew member can survive in the event of a direct hit, but the canopy and windows are otherwise unrated against ballistic threats.

On a standard day, when temperatures are 25 °C, the AH-64 has a vertical rate of climb of 1,775 feet per minute (541 m/min), and a service ceiling of 21,000 feet (6,400 m). However, on a hot day, when temperatures are 36 °C, its vertical rate of climb is reduced to 1,595 fpm (486 m/min), and service ceiling is reduced to 19,400 feet (5,900 m) due to less dense air.

Avionics

One of the revolutionary features of the KAH-106 was its helmet mounted display, the Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System (IHADSS), among its capabilities, either the pilot or gunner can slave the helicopter's 30 mm automatic KM208 Chain Gun to their helmet, making the gun track head movements to point where they look. The KM208 can be alternatively fixed to a locked forward firing position, or controlled via the Target Acquisition and Designation System (TADS).

The KAH-106 was designed to perform in front-line environments, and to operate at night or day and during adverse weather conditions. Various sensors and onboard avionics allows the KAH-106 to perform in these conditions; such systems include the Target Acquisition and Designation System, Pilot Night Vision System (TADS/PNVS), passive infrared countermeasures, KPS(Joseon's satellite navigation system), and the IHADSS. "Janggung" radar-equipped KAH-106 can locate up to 256 targets simultaneously within 50 km (31 mi). In June 2025, 126 Royal Joseon Army KAH-106s were equipped with the Ground Fire Acquisition System (GFAS), which detects and targets ground-based weapons fire sources in all-light conditions and with a 120° visual field. The GFAS consists of two sensor pods working with the KAH-106's other sensors, and a thermographic camera that precisely locates muzzle flashes.