Home Asia Pacific South Korea picks Bell 505 as its new military helicopter trainer

South Korea picks Bell 505 as its new military helicopter trainer

Bell 505
Photo: Bell

The Republic of Korea has awarded Bell Textron a contract for the delivery of Bell 505 helicopters that will be used as the new trainer aircraft by its military.

A total of 40 units will be delivered to both the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) and Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) to train their next generation of helicopter pilots.

The helicopters are to be delivered by 2025, according to the company.

“The Republic of Korea’s selection of the Bell 505 after a rigorous review process, confirms it is the preferred next-generation military helicopter trainer globally for training pilots,” said Patrick Moulay, Bell’s senior vice president international commercial sales. “With the ever-increasing operational needs and challenges faced by the Republic of Korea armed forces, Bell is privileged to play a part in training future ROKA and ROKN pilots.”

South Korea is joining several other government agencies, including the Indonesian Navy, Jamaican Air Force, Japan Coast Guard, United Arab Emirates military and Montenegro military, in utilizing the Bell 505 as its helicopter trainer.

Bell 505 is Bell’s newest five-seat aircraft featuring Garmin avionics and a dual channel FADEC-controlled engine. It has a speed of 125 knots (232 km/h) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (680 kg). In February, the helicopter achieved 100,000 global fleet hours, according to Bell.