On 25 February 2025, South Korean media has reported that the Ministry of National Defense had either cancelled or reassessed five major weapons acquisition programs, worth a combined total of over 12 trillion South Korean Won (KRW) (approx. AU $13 billion). The military cited increased acquisition costs and overlapping missions with existing deployed weapons as key reasons. These moves reflect a strategic pivot toward enhancing future-oriented and cost-effective defence capabilities.
Army’s second phase of Large Attack Helicopter Acquisition Program
The second phase of South Korea's Large Attack Helicopter acquisition was approved at the 147th Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee meeting in November 2022. Running from 2023 to 2028, the project aims to procure 36 helicopters via overseas purchase at a total cost of 3.3 trillion KRW (approx. AU $3.57 billion). Previously, the Army acquired 36 AH-64E Apache Guardians through the first phase (2012–2021) for about 1.9 trillion KRW (approx. AU $2.05 billion).
Like the first phase, the second was pursued with Boeing’s Apache helicopters. However, it is now under review due to a sharp rise in costs. In November, the US approved an FMS package worth AU $5.3 billion (about 4.9 trillion KRW), nearly 3 trillion KRW (approx. AU $3.25 billion) more than the first phase.
Beyond cost issues, domestic doubts have grown over the need for more attack helicopters, driven by their vulnerability in modern warfare, as seen in Ukraine, where many were downed by MANPADS and loitering munitions.
The ROK military originally planned to acquire more large attack helicopters to provide cover and firepower for the 2nd Quick Response Division (similar to the US Army’s 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions) which is tasked with advancing toward Pyongyang in the event of a regime collapse in North Korea or another war on the Korean Peninsula. As a result, the military is now reassessing whether the gap left by large attack helicopters can be filled by the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH-1), which is ready for mass production by KAI, along with attack drones and manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) systems.
However, given that South Korea’s drone development programs have faced challenges during prototype testing for corps-level UAVs and considering that unmanned systems development has been relatively slow compared to other major military powers, it is expected that developing and preparing attack drones for mass production will take time. Therefore, rather than completely scrapping the plan, there remains room for reconsideration.
Navy’s CVX Program
The Republic of Korea Navy's discussions on acquiring an aircraft carrier first emerged in the late 1990s, alongside plans to build a blue-water navy. The issue gained significant momentum during the Moon Jae-in administration, and the CVX light aircraft carrier program was officially launched in the early 2020s. However, with the change in government, the direction of the project shifted. In the 2023 defence budget proposal, no funds were allocated for the CVX program, and the 2024 budget also assigned zero funding, effectively putting the project on hold.
For the ROK Navy, acquiring an aircraft carrier has long been a key component of its ambition to become a true blue-water navy. However, there are numerous challenges: questions about the carrier's operational effectiveness; the significant financial burden; the need for at least two carriers along with supporting escort vessels to ensure continuous and effective operations; the high costs of acquiring or developing carrier-based aircraft; and, finally, the growing difficulty of securing sufficient manpower due to South Korea’s declining birth rate, all of which pose realistic obstacles to operating such a large vessel.
As a result, the ROK military is turning toward the Multi-purpose Unmanned Force Command Vessel as an alternative to a light aircraft carrier. This unmanned command vessel is expected to operate a wide range of unmanned assets currently being developed by the ROK Navy, including USVs, UUVs, and UAVs. This makes it a central component of the ROK Navy’s Navy Sea GHOST concept.
Other programs include replacing the 2nd Quick Response Division’s light armoured vehicle with a special operations light tactical vehicle, similar to the US Army’s Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV). The Navy’s Joint Strike Ship (JSS) has faced criticism for its vulnerability due to carrying a large number of ballistic missiles. Rising costs from survivability upgrades prompted a shift in approach. Instead, the KDDX destroyer, equipped with the KVLS-II system capable of launching the Hyunmoo-IV-2, will take on part of the JSS's role by carrying more missiles. Lastly, the HUAS was prioritized over the joint moving target surveillance and control aircraft program, given cost and deployment timeline concerns. The ROK military is also working to expand its unmanned and satellite-based surveillance capabilities.