EDEX 2025: South Korea’s KAI combines MAH-1 attack helicopter with ALE drone for coastal strike
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Korea Aerospace Industries presented the MAH-1 Marine Attack Helicopter with its Air Launched Effect drone concept at EDEX 2025, marking their first public display as an integrated system.
At EDEX 2025, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) presented the MAH-1 Marine Attack Helicopter equipped with its Air Launched Effect (ALE) drone concept, marking the first public exhibition in which both systems were displayed. The pairing shows how this manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) could extend the helicopter’s reconnaissance and standoff engagement capabilities for naval and amphibious operations.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
A 1:10 scale model placed the ALE alongside the MAH-1 as an auxiliary system intended to expand situational awareness, reconnaissance coverage, and stand-off engagement capacity. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The MAH-1 Marineon features a crashworthy airframe, crashworthy and self-sealing fuel tanks, a digital glass cockpit, a four-axis automatic flight control system, and a Health Usage Monitoring System integrated into its twin turboshaft engine. The helicopter uses two T700-701K engines, producing more than 1,800 shp each, and incorporates Full Authority Digital Engine Control for performance management in maritime conditions. Salt-resistant surface treatments, a folding main rotor system, and shipborne operation features address deployment on Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships and similar platforms. Its armament layout included a chin-mounted three-barreled 20 mm turret gun, air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and 2.75-inch guided or unguided rockets mounted on six wing stations. In terms of dimensions, the MAH-1 possesses a maximum takeoff weight of 8.7 t, with an overall length of 19 m, a width of 6.1 m, and a height of 5 m.
The Air Launched Effect (ALE) drone, displayed beside the MAH-1, is described by KAI as a helicopter-borne system launched at high speed from a manned aircraft and controlled directly by the helicopter crew, enabling surveillance, reconnaissance with swarm components, and strike missions. This drone concept has an operating altitude of about 2 km, a speed of approximately 200 km/h, and an endurance close to two hours, supporting operations ahead of a manned platform in shallow water or coastal environments. Its dimensions of 1.20 m by 2.50 m by 0.50 m corresponded to the form factor required for under-wing or dedicated launcher installation. Diagrams at the stand showed several data link flows that allow real-time transmission of sensor information and tasking back to the helicopter. These functions enable the MAH-1 to identify landing zones, detect defensive positions, or confirm targets while avoiding exposure to threats concentrated in littoral corridors. In the EDEX configuration, the ALE was therefore positioned as a core element in extending the Marineon’s reconnaissance and strike reach.
The MAH-1 incorporates structural and survivability features drawn from the Surion family, which was developed through a multi-year program that began in 2006 and produced variants for military transport, medevac, firefighting, police work, and coast guard missions. Shared components include crashworthy structures, ballistic protection, infrared suppressed exhausts, and defensive systems such as missile warning receivers, laser warning receivers, radar warning receivers, and countermeasure dispensers. The Marineon derivative added maritime adaptations, including flotation equipment, corrosion-resistant components, and navigation aids suited for ship operations, which the MAH-1 inherits. The cockpit integrates targeting systems, helmet-mounted displays, and night vision compatibility required for coordinated day and night operations with unmanned assets. South Korea designed the Surion family to maintain maximum component commonality for maintenance and production efficiency while allowing variant-specific mission equipment such as mine warfare suites or attack configurations. The result is a modular family of helicopters, which will support the South Korean Marine Corps’ aviation expansion.
Development of the MAH-1 advanced significantly after October 2022, when KAI was awarded a contract to create an armed version of the Marineon, and the first prototypes were completed in 2024. The maiden flight took place in December 2024 and lasted around twenty minutes, during which crews evaluated control response through taxiing, takeoff, hovering, directional shifts, S-shaped turns, and maximum horizontal flight at around 30 m altitude. Subsequent testing included day and night live fire trials with Cheongeom anti-tank missiles, MBDA Mistral air-to-air missiles, unguided rockets, and the 20 mm nose gun. These events confirmed the helicopter’s ability to support amphibious assault operations by escorting transports and conducting close air support during ship-to-shore movements. Further trials planned through 2025 include expanded weapons integration and maritime environmental testing, ahead of development completion expected in the second half of 2026.
Within the Marine Corps force structure, the MAH-1 is intended to form the dedicated attack component of an aviation branch that began reconstitution only in the 2010s after decades without organic aircraft. The Marineon was procured as the transport platform, with 30 units ordered and deliveries initiated in 2018, and features folding rotors, flotation gear, and maritime radios. Plans for 24 MAH-1 aircraft suggest a structure with one attack squadron complementing two assault helicopter squadrons. The MAH-1 retains a cabin derived from the utility configuration, indicating that it may support limited troop transport or cargo movement in addition to its primary attack role. This arrangement reduces reliance on Army or Navy helicopters during amphibious operations and aligns with a national objective to provide Marine units with independent aviation support.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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Korea Aerospace Industries presented the MAH-1 Marine Attack Helicopter with its Air Launched Effect drone concept at EDEX 2025, marking their first public display as an integrated system.
At EDEX 2025, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) presented the MAH-1 Marine Attack Helicopter equipped with its Air Launched Effect (ALE) drone concept, marking the first public exhibition in which both systems were displayed. The pairing shows how this manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) could extend the helicopter’s reconnaissance and standoff engagement capabilities for naval and amphibious operations.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
A 1:10 scale model placed the ALE alongside the MAH-1 as an auxiliary system intended to expand situational awareness, reconnaissance coverage, and stand-off engagement capacity. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The MAH-1 Marineon features a crashworthy airframe, crashworthy and self-sealing fuel tanks, a digital glass cockpit, a four-axis automatic flight control system, and a Health Usage Monitoring System integrated into its twin turboshaft engine. The helicopter uses two T700-701K engines, producing more than 1,800 shp each, and incorporates Full Authority Digital Engine Control for performance management in maritime conditions. Salt-resistant surface treatments, a folding main rotor system, and shipborne operation features address deployment on Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships and similar platforms. Its armament layout included a chin-mounted three-barreled 20 mm turret gun, air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and 2.75-inch guided or unguided rockets mounted on six wing stations. In terms of dimensions, the MAH-1 possesses a maximum takeoff weight of 8.7 t, with an overall length of 19 m, a width of 6.1 m, and a height of 5 m.
The Air Launched Effect (ALE) drone, displayed beside the MAH-1, is described by KAI as a helicopter-borne system launched at high speed from a manned aircraft and controlled directly by the helicopter crew, enabling surveillance, reconnaissance with swarm components, and strike missions. This drone concept has an operating altitude of about 2 km, a speed of approximately 200 km/h, and an endurance close to two hours, supporting operations ahead of a manned platform in shallow water or coastal environments. Its dimensions of 1.20 m by 2.50 m by 0.50 m corresponded to the form factor required for under-wing or dedicated launcher installation. Diagrams at the stand showed several data link flows that allow real-time transmission of sensor information and tasking back to the helicopter. These functions enable the MAH-1 to identify landing zones, detect defensive positions, or confirm targets while avoiding exposure to threats concentrated in littoral corridors. In the EDEX configuration, the ALE was therefore positioned as a core element in extending the Marineon’s reconnaissance and strike reach.
The MAH-1 incorporates structural and survivability features drawn from the Surion family, which was developed through a multi-year program that began in 2006 and produced variants for military transport, medevac, firefighting, police work, and coast guard missions. Shared components include crashworthy structures, ballistic protection, infrared suppressed exhausts, and defensive systems such as missile warning receivers, laser warning receivers, radar warning receivers, and countermeasure dispensers. The Marineon derivative added maritime adaptations, including flotation equipment, corrosion-resistant components, and navigation aids suited for ship operations, which the MAH-1 inherits. The cockpit integrates targeting systems, helmet-mounted displays, and night vision compatibility required for coordinated day and night operations with unmanned assets. South Korea designed the Surion family to maintain maximum component commonality for maintenance and production efficiency while allowing variant-specific mission equipment such as mine warfare suites or attack configurations. The result is a modular family of helicopters, which will support the South Korean Marine Corps’ aviation expansion.
Development of the MAH-1 advanced significantly after October 2022, when KAI was awarded a contract to create an armed version of the Marineon, and the first prototypes were completed in 2024. The maiden flight took place in December 2024 and lasted around twenty minutes, during which crews evaluated control response through taxiing, takeoff, hovering, directional shifts, S-shaped turns, and maximum horizontal flight at around 30 m altitude. Subsequent testing included day and night live fire trials with Cheongeom anti-tank missiles, MBDA Mistral air-to-air missiles, unguided rockets, and the 20 mm nose gun. These events confirmed the helicopter’s ability to support amphibious assault operations by escorting transports and conducting close air support during ship-to-shore movements. Further trials planned through 2025 include expanded weapons integration and maritime environmental testing, ahead of development completion expected in the second half of 2026.
Within the Marine Corps force structure, the MAH-1 is intended to form the dedicated attack component of an aviation branch that began reconstitution only in the 2010s after decades without organic aircraft. The Marineon was procured as the transport platform, with 30 units ordered and deliveries initiated in 2018, and features folding rotors, flotation gear, and maritime radios. Plans for 24 MAH-1 aircraft suggest a structure with one attack squadron complementing two assault helicopter squadrons. The MAH-1 retains a cabin derived from the utility configuration, indicating that it may support limited troop transport or cargo movement in addition to its primary attack role. This arrangement reduces reliance on Army or Navy helicopters during amphibious operations and aligns with a national objective to provide Marine units with independent aviation support.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
