SEOUL (BNS): The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has signed a deal worth 632.8 billion won (US$ 525 million) with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) of South Korea to produce and deliver about 30 new amphibious helicopters to the country's Marine Corps.

The Marine Corps will deploy the rotorcraft by 2023 to bolster South Korea's maritime defence capabilities, the official Yonhap news agency reported.

The new amphibious helicopter would be based on the KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter, which has also been developed by the KAI with help from the government and private experts.

The KAI has also inked another deal worth 1.559 trillion won to build about 70 Surion helicopters by 2022 for the South Korean Army, the Yonhap report said quoting a statement from the company.

KAI has already delivered about 100 Surions to the military and government agencies in the past three years.

It also aims to export the Surion choppers in the international market.