[Anchor]

While delays plague the acquisition of ultra-large helicopters, the existing mainstay helicopters that have patrolled wildfire sites are also coming to a halt. An internal assessment by the Korea Forest Service indicates that more than half of these core helicopters will be grounded by next year.

Why is this happening, and what measures are in place? SBS reporter Lee Hyun-jung brings us this exclusive report.

[Reporter]

The Korea Forest Service currently operates a total of 49 wildfire-fighting helicopters. Among them, nearly 60%, or 29 aircraft, are Russian-made KA-32 helicopters, commonly known as Kamovs.

With a water-carrying capacity of 3,000 liters, they serve as the core mainstay fleet, but most have grown old, having been introduced 20 to 30 years ago.

Compounding the issue, the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war has blocked the supply routes for replacement parts, leaving seven of these helicopters already grounded.

The greater problem lies ahead.

According to the Korea Forest Service's own projections on future operational status, the number of grounded helicopters is expected to rise to 15 next year, exceeding half of the core fleet. The analysis shows that the figure will reach 27 helicopters in three years, and all 29 will be rendered inoperable in five years.

This is because U.S. financial sanctions against Russia prevent the procurement of nine out of 11 core parts, including engines, from Russia.

If the mainstay helicopters are grounded en masse, the core water-carrying capacity for extinguishing wildfires will plummet, inevitably leaving a massive void in responses to large-scale forest fires.

As this emergency approaches, the Korea Forest Service has yet to establish concrete mid-to-long-term countermeasures, such as purchasing additional helicopters or leasing them.

While its stated stance is to "increase the leasing of overseas helicopters or expand the utilization of helicopters from domestic affiliated agencies if the delivery of ultra-large helicopters becomes difficult by next spring," numerous hurdles remain, including securing additional budget and negotiating with related agencies.

[Seo Sam-seok / Chairperson of the National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee (Democratic Party of Korea): "Public safety cannot be protected with stopgap administration. We must thoroughly re-examine the overall helicopter acquisition project and promptly devise mid-to-long-term countermeasures to respond to gaps in wildfire suppression."]

The rollout of new helicopters has hit snags from the very start, and existing mainstay models face the threat of being grounded due to sanctions, placing the Korea Forest Service's wildfire response capabilities under an ultimate test.

(Video reporting: Seol Min-hwan | Video editing: Kim Jong-tae | Design: Choi Jae-young, Kim Min-young, Byun Da-young | VJ: Kim Jun-ho | Data provided by the office of National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee Chairperson Seo Sam-seok | Video courtesy of Columbia Helicopters YouTube | YouTube and SNS sources: Jarasum Younggu, Jirisan Sancheongsali, Bichawa Naltl, Film Master)