South Korea has initiated a major upgrade of its UH/HH-60 Black Hawk fleet, modernizing over 30 helicopters under a $715-million program led by Korean Air with LIG Nex1 and Collins Aerospace. The upgrades will replace analog cockpits with digital displays, add electronic maps, and introduce new navigation and survival systems. Special operations and search-and-rescue units will gain radar warning receivers, survival management computers, and obstacle warning systems. Automatic hover functions will reduce pilot workload. The effort will boost domestic R&D, create over 50 new components, and strengthen Korea’s defense sector while enhancing mission capability. Completion is expected by 2029.
