South Korea hands eight overhauled MD 500 military helicopters to the Kenya Army

South Korea has handed eight retired MD 500 Defender military helicopters, overhauled in the United States, to the Kenya Army, meeting a pledge Seoul made in 2021 to support United Nations peacekeeping in Africa. The South Korean defence ministry said a donation ceremony was held at the Kenya Army Corps of Aviation in Nairobi on 23 October, according to a Yonhap report carried by The Korea Times.

Kenya's Ministry of Defence said the army aviation corps received the helicopters at its headquarters in Embakasi, and described the project as a joint effort by the governments of Kenya, South Korea and the United States. The ministry said the US government arranged the fitting of advanced digital systems to the aircraft and supported training for Kenyan army pilots and technicians who will fly and maintain them.

The helicopters were shipped to the United States from late 2023 and spent about two years there in maintenance and repair, South Korean officials said. They reached Kenya last month and are now awaiting deployment after passing all of their flight tests. Around 200 people attended the handover, including defence officials from the three countries and members of the local diplomatic corps, according to the Yonhap report.

The commitment dates from the UN peacekeeping ministerial meeting held in Seoul in 2021, where South Korea offered helicopters for peacekeeping operations in Africa and the United States agreed to overhaul the aircraft and move them to Kenya, both the Korean and Kenyan reports said. South Korea's defence ministry said it intends to keep widening its contributions to UN peacekeeping.

Kenyan Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya presided over the reception, People Daily reported, citing her post on X. According to the Kenyan ministry, she said the refurbished helicopters would add to the Kenya Defence Forces' capacity for reconnaissance, aerial support, mobility and critical security operations. The Chief of the Defence Forces, General Charles Kahariri, said the aircraft would help with security operations, counter-terrorism, peace support missions and humanitarian work.

The ministry said South Korean Ambassador Kang Hyung-shik presented the transfer of military equipment as a sign of mutual trust and a shared commitment to regional peace. Susan Burns, the US charge d'affaires, linked modernised equipment to Kenya's role in counter-terrorism in East Africa and in peacekeeping abroad, while Brigadier General Jayson Becker, deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, called Kenya a key partner in efforts to stabilise the Horn of Africa.

People Daily stressed that the handover is a transfer of aircraft previously flown by the South Korean military, not a new purchase by Kenya. It described the MD 500 as a light helicopter used for roles such as observation and reconnaissance, and said its value to Kenya will depend on the missions assigned and the equipment fitted. The paper said the commanders of the Kenya Army, Air Force and Navy also attended.

The reports did not say how the eight aircraft will be divided between Kenyan army tasks and UN missions, or whether South Korea plans further transfers of retired helicopters beyond the ministry's general promise to do more for peacekeeping.