South Korea to buy 36 Apache attack choppers

South Korea has selected the Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter as its attack helicopter, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Wednesday.

The AH-64E Apache helicopter is called killer of North Korea's air-cushion vehicles to transport special forces and tanks.

The decision came in a DAPA committee meeting presided over by Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin, the arms acquisition agency said.

Under the decision, the Army will buy 36 Apache choppers from 2016 to 2018 at a total cost of 1.8 trillion won, the DAPA said. South Korea is the fourth country to purchase Apache choppers - currently, the United States, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia operate Apache helicopters.

The AH-64E Apache helicopter defeated two other bidders - the AH-1Z Viper manufactured by Bell, another U.S. defense firm, and the Turkish Aerospace Industry's T-129.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com