South Korea's medical evacuation capabilities have been modernized under the Defense Innovation 4.0 program and feature an integrated structure, particularly utilizing domestically produced KUH-1 Surion helicopters and the Air Force's SAR (Search and Rescue) units.
REPUBLIC OF KOREA MEDICAL AVIATION & MEDEVAC • Aero-medical Services
Personnel: ε5,000 (Integrated medical and aviation support personnel). Status: Operational / High-Readiness. Strategy: Aero-medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), disaster relief, and specialized search and rescue (SAR) within the national "Three-Axis" defense framework.
Forces by Role & Equipment by Type
• HELICOPTER ε185+ active platforms (Medical/SAR Configured).
Tactical Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC):
- 150 KAI Surion (KUH-1).
- (Note: The primary medium-lift platform for Army-level casualty evacuation across the peninsula).
Combat Search & Rescue (CSAR) & Aero-medical Transport:
- 17 Sikorsky S-70 / HH-60P Black Hawk.
- 9 Boeing CH/HH-47D Chinook.
- 7 Kamov Ka-32 Helix C.
- (Note: These units provide high-altitude and all-weather medical extraction capabilities for the ROKAF).
Maritime SAR & Emergency Medical Services (EMS):
- 3 Sikorsky S-92.
- 2 KAI KUH-1 Surion (White Heron).
- 5 Aerospatiale AS565MB Panther.
- 8 Kamov Ka-32 Helix C.
- (Note: Operated by Coast Guard Aviation for maritime medical emergencies and littoral domain awareness).
• AIRCRAFT (Fixed-wing Support)
Aero-medical Liaison & Transport:
- 18 CASA CN235.
- (Note: Utilized by the Air Force for long-range litter transport and intra-theater medical logistics).
- 5 Cessna F406 Caravan II.
- (Note: Naval aviation assets providing coordination and rapid liaison for maritime medical crises).
• UNCREWED AERIAL SYSTEMS (ISR Support)
Medical Reconnaissance & Situational Awareness:
- Night Intruder 300; IAI Searcher.
- (Note: Tactical UAS utilized for damage assessment and casualty locating in disaster-stricken zones).
Strategic Note: By 2026, South Korea has prioritized the integration of medical aviation into its "Kill Web" concept, ensuring that casualty evacuation is synchronized with real-time battlefield data. The massive induction of the KUH-1 Surion has significantly reduced wound-to-hospital timelines. Furthermore, the specialized SAR configurations of the HH-60P and HH-47D maintain a high-readiness posture for both combat search and rescue and large-scale domestic humanitarian assistance missions. This medical aviation structure is designed to support the civilian healthcare system during national emergencies while providing robust support to the ε500,000 active duty personnel.
4/5 Generation Fighters 
