French aerospace and defence company Safran and its Safran Helicopter Engines have been selected as the engine supplier by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for the Light Civil Helicopter (LCH).
Safran has also been selected by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), KAI and defence and surveillance company Hanwha Techwin to be the engine supplier for the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), which will feature a new and improved engine named Arriel 2L2.
Safran Helicopter Engines and Hanwha Techwin signed an agreement for the joint-development and the manufacturing of the Arriel 2L2 in South-Korea.
While the LAH will be powered by the new Arriel 2L2 engine, the LCH will be powered with the existing Arriel 2C2 engine.
The Ariel 2C2 was certified in 2002 and already powers Airbus Helicopters H155.
The new Arriel 2L2 engine will have its licence production performed by Hanwha Techwin in the form of manufacturing the engine’s major parts as well as performing the final assembly and tests in its plant before delivering the Arriel 2L2 to KAI.
The Arriel 2L2 features a combination of new and proven technologies, and is derived from the Arriel 2N.
It has new features differing from its predecessors and previous Ariel 2 generation of engines, including a new axial compressor, high-pressure compressor diffuser, high-pressure turbine material and new-generation dual-channel Fadec.
These new features will help to make the Arriel 2L2 one of the most powerful variants of the Arriel family, and will provide better safety, reliability, power and performance during demanding missions.
Safran at the top of its game
Arriel is the best-selling helicopter engine solution in its class and offers over 40 different helicopter types ranging in power from 650 to 1024 shp.
Over 12,000 Ariel units have been produced during the past 40 years, resulting in an Ariel-powered helicopter taking off every 15 seconds somewhere in the world.
Safran Helicopter Engines Executive Vice President OEM Sales, Maxime Faribault, emphasised that the engine supply deal signed with KAI and Hanwha Techwin would offer world class engines and services to KAI and the Korean army.
“This partnership is a new step in the Arriel program history,” she said. “We are proud in the confidence placed in us by Hanwha Techwin. Together, we are committed to offer a cutting-edge engine solution with world-class services to the Republic of Korea Army.”
Safran’s recent engine supply deal follows a 2015 in which the French company logged sales of $17.4bn euros.
Safran also recorded a very strong revenue growth for first quarter 2016, with an adjusted revenue of $4.24bn euros which was up by 7.8% on this time last year.
Safran is an international high-technology company and tier-1 supplier of systems and equipment in its core markets of Aerospace, Defense and Security.
Safran has over 70,000 employees operating worldwide and comprises of a number of companies which help it to hold world and European leadership positions in its markets.
