A Mid-range Surface-to-air Missile
The Korean mid-range surface-to-air missile (M-SAM), "Cheongung II," will be exported to the United Arab Emirates for the first time. The contract amount is expected to reach about US$3.5 Billion (4 trillion won), the largest in the history of the Korean defense industry.
The Cheongung is the core weapon of the Korean Army Missile Defense (KAMD) system. It has a ballistic missile intercepting function. Led by LIG Nex1, a number of private Korean companies, including Hanwha System, Hanwha Defense, and Kia Corp., participated in the development of the Cheongung weapon system. Analysts say the export deal will serve as an opportunity for Korean defense companies to win global recognition of their excellent arms competitiveness.
The UAE Ministry of Defense announced on Nov. 16 (local time) through its official Twitter account that it plans to sign a US$3.5 billion contract to bring in South Korea's air defense system, M-SAM. The number of the missiles to be imported was not disclosed. "Negotiations between South Korea and the UAE have reached an advanced stage and the two countries are close to signing a final agreement," the UAE Ministry of Defense stressed.
The Cheongung II is mainly used to intercept enemy missiles and is called an anti-missile missile. Unlike the Cheongung I, it is characterized by a ballistic missile intercept function. LIG Nex1 developed it for five years from 2012 and began mass production in 2018 and delivered it to the Korean military in November last year.
The most important aspect of a missile intercept system is its hit ratio. The Cheongung recorded a 100 percent hit rate in the 2017 test launch by the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality. The weapon’s maximum speed is Mach 5, so the missile can intercept enemy missiles falling at a speed of 5 kilometers per second. It is 4 meters long and weighs 400 kilograms. It is 1.5 billion won per unit.
One Cheongung battery consists of a fire direction center, a multifunctional radar, and three launching vehicles. Each launch pad can carry eight intercept missiles. Its radar was developed by Hanwha System and launch pad vehicles by Kia Corp. and Hanwha Defense.