Christina Upah, left, vice president of attack helicopter programs at Boeing, and TJ Jamison, Boeing's director of attack business development, answer questions at a media briefing in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Boeing Korea

U.S. defense giant Boeing hopes to continue its collaboration with Korea on the sale of 36 AH-64E Apache helicopters, amid increasing speculation that the Korean government may be reevaluating its plans.

"We are really excited to support the Republic of Korea's requirements for defense contracts, specifically to procure an additional 36 E model Apaches, which would ultimately bring the fleet size of the Republic of Korea Army's Apache aircraft to 72," Christina Upah, vice president of Boeing's attack helicopter programs, said at a media briefing in Seoul, Wednesday.

Upah, who oversees Boeing's Mesa site in Arizona — the manufacturing plant for Apache helicopters — highlighted during her visit to Seoul that the attack reconnaissance helicopter continues to see strong international demand. It is currently in operation across 19 countries.

"We value the distinguished relationship and partnership that we have forged with Korean industries, and we are committed to grow and expand those in the future," the vice president said.

Apache, a multimission attack helicopter designed as a highly stable aerial weapons-delivery platform, is capable of day and night and all-weather operations. It has a maximum cruising speed of 269 kilometers per hour and can carry up to four air-to-air missiles in addition to Hellfire missiles.

The Republic of Korea Army has been operating 36 Apache helicopters since 2017.

Korea has been seeking to buy 36 more AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, as well as logistics and program support, at an estimated cost of $3.5 billion. The government-to-government Foreign Military Sale was approved by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency in August.

However, in recent months, there has been speculation that the Korean military is reconsidering the purchase amid rising skepticism about attack helicopters in modern warfare. In light of the Russia-Ukraine war, where helicopters have suffered a high number of losses, lighter and more cost-effective unmanned aerial vehicles have gained prominence.

Addressing these concerns, Upah highlighted that Boeing's attack helicopters continue to go through modernization and will remain a critical asset on the battlefield.

"There is no drone or uncrewed platform that can do what the Apache does today. The Apache has a very strong demand and future that is tied to the U.S. Army's modernization plan," she said.

TJ Jamison, Boeing's director of attack business development, who also attended the press briefing, emphasized the importance of integrating manned and unmanned military equipment.

"The professional military analysis has proven over and over again, through not just the U.S. Army's analysis and project convergence, but also analyses from Israel, Australia, Korea and Poland, all the analyses point to the best solution [being] a mix, a partnership of man and unmanned complementing each other," Jamison said.