The Eyes of the Cheongung Missile System
Hanwha Systems announced on Jan. 17 that it has inked a contract with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to export multi-functional radars (MFRs) for the Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile (MSAM) systems. The contract is worth about US$1.1 billion.
The MSAM system known as Cheongung is an integral part of the Korean missile defense system developed by Korean companies with in-house technology.
Hanwha Systems' contract is part of the US$3.5 billion mega deal signed between Korean defense contractors and the UAE for exports of the Cheongung guided weapon systems. The Korean companies included LIG Nex1, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Defense.
Hanwha Systems' MFR acts as the eyes of the Cheongung system. It passed a combat readiness test in 2020. Hanwha Systems is planning to mass-produce Cheongung-II MFRs, an upgrade version of Cheongung MFRs, by 2023.
A Cheongung-II MFR can perform combined combat functions such as the detection and tracking and identification of airplanes and ballistic missiles, responses to jammers, the detection and tracking of guided missiles and communications with improved performance.
Hanwha System plans to supply Cheongung-II MFRs after improving them to befit the UAE’s environmental conditions, and plans to enter the Middle East and Southeast Asian export markets. In particular, it plans to further improve domestic radar technology by developing a long-range artillery intercepting system based on its globally recognized radar technology.
Hanwha System posted about 2.28 trillion won in order intake in 2021. Its order balance crossed an all-time high of about 5.8 trillion won, including exports of Cheongung-II MFRs to the UAE.