UN official thanks S. Korea for helicopter donation to Kenya for peacekeeping operations

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the U.N. under-secretary-general for peace operations, thanked South Korea on Friday for donating eight helicopters to Kenya for U.N. peacekeeping operations. The refurbished MD 500 Defender helicopters were handed over at a ceremony in Nairobi attended by about 200 people, including South Korean, U.S. and Kenyan defense officials. The helicopters completed flight tests and are awaiting deployment. The United States supported their refurbishment and transport.

South Korea pledged to provide helicopters for U.N. peacekeeping operations across Africa at the U.N. peacekeeping ministerial meeting in Seoul in 2021.

The United States agreed to maintain the helicopters and help transport them to Kenya.

The decommissioned helicopters underwent repairs and refurbishment in the United States for approximately two years before arriving in Kenya last month.

Published Oct 24, 2026 1:50 am KST

This photo captured from the X account of Jean-Pierre Lacroix, U.N. under-secretary-general for peace operations, shows a South Korean military helicopter unit donated to Kenya during a handover ceremony held in Nairobi, Friday. Yonhap

WASHINGTON — A senior United Nations official expressed gratitude to South Korea on Friday for donating eight military helicopters to Kenya to support U.N. peacekeeping operations.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, U.N. under-secretary-general for peace operations, made the remarks in a post on X following a ceremony marking the handover of eight refurbished MD 500 Defender helicopters to Kenya.

"Grateful to the Republic of Korea for donating eight helicopters to enhance U.N. Peacekeeping's air mobility," Lacroix wrote. "Refurbished with U.S. support, they were handed over to Kenya," he added, describing the donation as a "concrete example" of how U.N. member states invest in peace.

South Korea pledged to provide choppers to U.N. peacekeeping operations across Africa during the U.N. peacekeeping ministerial meeting held in Seoul in 2021. The United States vowed to conduct maintenance work on the helicopters and help transport them to the East African country.

The decommissioned helicopters underwent repairs and refurbishment in the U.S. for approximately two years before arriving in Kenya last month, according to South Korea's defense ministry. They are waiting for deployment after successfully completing all flight tests, according to officials.

The ceremony held in Nairobi on Friday (local time) was attended by some 200 participants, including defense officials from South Korea, the U.S. and Kenya.

联合国主管和平行动的副秘书长让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦周五感谢韩国向肯尼亚捐赠八架直升机，用于联合国维和行动。这批经过翻新的MD 500“捍卫者”直升机在内罗毕举行的交接仪式上交付，约200人出席，其中包括韩国、美国和肯尼亚的国防官员。这些直升机已完成飞行测试，目前正在等待部署。美国为直升机的翻新和运输提供了支持。

2021年，在首尔举行的联合国维和部长级会议上，韩国承诺向联合国在非洲的维和行动提供直升机。

美国同意负责维护这些直升机并帮助将它们运往肯尼亚。

这些退役的直升机在美国进行了大约两年的维修和翻新，于上个月抵达肯尼亚。

发布于2026年10月24日凌晨1点50分（韩国标准时间）

这张照片来自联合国主管和平行动的副秘书长让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦的X账户，照片显示的是周五在内罗毕举行的交接仪式上，韩国向肯尼亚捐赠的一架军用直升机。韩联社

华盛顿——一位联合国高级官员周五对韩国向肯尼亚捐赠八架军用直升机以支持联合国维和行动表示感谢。

联合国主管和平行动的副秘书长让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦在向肯尼亚移交八架翻新的MD 500“捍卫者”直升机的仪式后，在X上发表了上述言论。

拉克鲁瓦写道：“感谢大韩民国捐赠八架直升机，以增强联合国维和部队的空中机动能力。”他补充说：“这些直升机在美国的支持下进行了翻新，并已移交给肯尼亚。”他称此次捐赠是联合国成员国为和平事业投资的“具体例证”。

2021年在首尔举行的联合国维和部长级会议上，韩国承诺向联合国在非洲的维和行动提供直升机。美国承诺对这些直升机进行维护工作，并帮助将它们运送到这个东非国家。

据韩国国防部消息，这些退役直升机在美国进行了约两年的维修和翻新，于上个月抵达肯尼亚。官员称，它们已成功完成所有飞行测试，目前正在等待部署。

周五（当地时间）在内罗毕举行的仪式有约 200 名参与者，其中包括来自韩国、美国和肯尼亚的国防官员。