Kenya inducts surplus South Korean MD 500 helicopters

Two of the believed-to-be eight MD 500 helicopters that Kenya received from South Korea on 23 October 2026. (Kenya MoD)

Kenya has received from South Korea surplus MD Helicopters (MDH) MD 500 Defender light observation and attack helicopters.

The Kenyan Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the receipt of the helicopters by the Kenya Army Corps of Aviation (KACA) of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) during a ceremony at its Headquarters in Embakasi on 23 October 2026.

The MoD did not state how many helicopters were delivered, but imagery of the event showed at least five. South Korea's Ministry of National Defense pledged six MD 500s for United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations in December 2023, although the US government later gave the number to be eight. South Korean media reported that all eight helicopters were delivered to Kenya on the same day.

As noted in the Kenyan MoD announcement, the MD 500 delivery involved a collaboration between the governments of Kenya, the Republic of Korea, and the US. The US government facilitated the modernisation of the helicopters, as well supporting the training of KACA pilots and technicians. While these refurbished helicopters will help bolster the KACA's capabilities, their delivery is some months later than the “between late 2024 and summer 2025 timline given by the US government in May 2024.

The KACA has experience of operating the MD 500, with the 50th Air Cavalry Battalion flying the type until at least 2024 when more than one was reported by the KDF to have participated in the rescue of the aircrew from a downed Bell UH-1 ‘Huey'. In 2020, the KACA received six MDH MD 530F helicopters. These surplus and modernised MD 500s will augment the MD 530Fs.