South Korean helicopters will practice firing air-to-air missiles for the first time.

The South Korean military plans to conduct its first-ever drill with the AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missile for the Apache Guardian attack helicopter.

Korean helicopters practice firing air-to-air missiles for the first time

Korean AH-64E helicopters in training

The South Korean Army said today it will dispatch four AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters to participate in a live-fire exercise at the Daecheon firing range. This is the first time South Korean attack helicopters have used AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, Yonhap reported.

A formation of two Guardians would launch two Stingers at the Outlaw G2 target from a distance of 2.5 km. The remaining two helicopters would act as backup, ready to take off if the main formation encountered problems.

The South Korean Ministry of Defense describes the AIM-92 as a “powerful weapon” thanks to its ability to destroy aircraft and drones operating at low altitudes. The Stinger system was originally developed by the US as a shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile, but Seoul has asked Washington to add the ability to use this weapon on the AH-64E helicopter. Each helicopter can carry four Stingers with a maximum range of about 6 km.

The Republic of Korea Army established two attack helicopter battalions, with a total of 36 AH-64Es, last year. The training has been completed, allowing the force to reach combat readiness in early 2018./.

According to VNE