Army temporarily grounds Apache helicopters amid US inspection for possible defect

The Korea Times - Nov 10, 2026

The Korean Army has temporarily grounded its Apache military helicopters as U.S. authorities began inspections on the fleet over a possible malfunction of their transmission system, an Army official said Tuesday. The grounding of the AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters has been in place since early October, after the Army received a safety advisory from the U.S. military regarding the transmission component, Army spokesperson Capt. Bae Seok-jin said in a press briefing. "As a safety precaution, the Army temporarily grounded the fleet in early October (for the U.S. side) to conduct technical inspections in phases," Bae said. "Operations will resume sequentially based on the inspection results." While routine training flights are paused during the grounding, the helicopters usually stand ready for an immediate operational launch in the event of a contingency. "There are currently no issues with our readiness or operational posture," the Army spokesperson added. Manufactured by Boeing, the Apache helicopters serve as a key asset for air-to-ground defense for the Korean military, which

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