Kenya receives 8 military helicopters in US-South Korea defence deal

Kenya has received eight MD500 military helicopters from South Korea through a trilateral defence partnership involving the United States, in a move aimed at strengthening the Kenya Defence Forces’ (KDF) aviation capabilities and supporting regional security operations.Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya announced the handover on Friday, October 23, 2026, in a post shared on her X account, saying she had presided over the reception and inauguration of the aircraft at the Kenya Army Corps of Aviation headquarters in Embakasi, Nairobi.