By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

Samsung Thales is to hold a launch ceremony for the brand promotion of its naval defense systems.

The ceremony will take place during the Naval & Defense 2009 fair in Busan, at the same time as the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2009 in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, which runs from Oct. 20 to 25.

The naval event will continue through Oct. 24.

The firm has named its naval defense systems the Naval Shield Integrated Combat Management System (NS ICMS).

The brand launch is expected to further promote the firm's naval combat systems globally and help export them in the future, according to a news release.

As South Korea's leading maker of naval combat systems, the company, based here, offers military electronics products that it has designed or adapted from foreign technologies.

It develops and produces tactical communications and data link equipment, radar systems, electro-optical gear and up-to-date combat systems for ships and ground vehicles.

The company's naval combat systems are drawing keen attention from other nations. Some Southeast Asian countries have shown interest in one developed for the South Korean Navy's 14,000-ton Dokdo Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH 6111) vessel commissioned in 2007.

Naval combat systems automate target detection, tracking, threat assessment and weapon control. The system guides these functions simultaneously for efficient execution, allowing combat operations to be carried out by fewer crew members.

About two years ago, STC completed the five-year Landing Platform Experimental (LPX) combat system, in cooperation with the ADD, based on expertise gathered from its development of combat systems for the South Korean Navy's KDX-I/II destroyers, frigates and patrol ships.

STC's latest naval combat system is being installed in the Navy's Patrol Killer, Guided Missile (PKG) class of high-speed vessels. The lead ship was commissioned in December after 19 months of sea trials.

The integrated surface-to-air/anti-ship/fire-control system, co-developed with the Agency for Defense Development, involves three-dimensional radar, tracking radar and electro-optical tracking devices. It enables the patrol killer ship to simultaneously detect and track up to 100 aerial and surface targets and to engage multiple targets.

Earlier this year, Samsung Thales won a contract to supply combat systems for the Navy's upcoming KSS-III submarines, and subsequent export of the systems.

The country's defense procurement agency is scheduled to announce the final bidder this month. Three 3,000-ton submarines will be built beginning in 2018 under the 2.5-trillion-won KSS-III project.

STC plans to unveil a prototype of its advanced submarine combat system, under development for four years, soon, company officials said. The combat system could also be installed in the Navy's new 2,300-ton FFX-I-class frigates, scheduled to begin service in 2011.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr