SURION ROLLOUT: Korea Aerospace Industries has rolled out the first prototype of its Korean Utility Helicopter, now renamed Surion, marking the country’s entry into rotary-wing military aircraft following such earlier projects as the T-50 supersonic trainer. A first flight in March is due to follow ground testing, with first deliveries to the South Korean army in 2012. The South Korean armed forces require 245 of the utility helicopters for such roles as troop transport, but Korea Aerospace holds hopes of selling more to the military and other government customers.

Another round of funding for China’s three big state airlines are likely to get more government capital, official media report. China Southern and Air China, the two largest carriers, are each expected to receive 1.5 billion yuan (US$220 million). China Eastern, which has so far received more than the other two, would get less than 100 million yuan, says the Shanghai Security News.

The market for the Australian-U.S. Nulka naval decoy may be expanding by a factor of two, thanks to a prospective easing of restrictions on exports of the hovering rocket. As the system is fitted to ever-larger ships, previously thought impossible to defend with decoys, there are signs that it will even go on board the largest of all, U.S. aircraft carriers, giving them one more defense layer to add to the several that already surround them.