Seoul: The arms procurement agency announced on Tuesday that a Marine attack helicopter currently under development has reached the final stage after successfully completing all weapons tests, including recent live-fire tests of air-to-air missiles. This marks a significant milestone in the development of the homegrown Marine Attack Helicopter (MAH).

According to Yonhap News Agency, the MAH has undergone live-fire tests for key weapons systems essential in modern warfare. These tests included turret-mounted machine guns, air-to-ground missiles, and both guided and unguided rockets, as reported by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The MAH program, launched in October 2022, aims to develop an attack helicopter for multidimensional amphibious operations, thereby enhancing the Marine Corps' operational capabilities in both ground and aerial domains.

The program achieved a significant milestone with its first test flight of a prototype in December 2024. Upon deployment, the attack helicopter is anticipated to protect the MUH-1 Marionon helicopter during assault operations at enemy sites and provide combat support upon request from ground forces.

DAPA has indicated that the development is on track for completion by August, with plans to commence mass production in 2027.