Planned export of missile system to UAE to raise Korean defense industry's competitiveness

By Kang Seung-woo

As the United Arab Emirates is close to purchasing Korean-made mid-range surface-to-air missiles (M-SAM), the envisaged weapons exports is expected to pave the way for local defense companies to gain global standing.

A South Korean guided missile is fired from a launcher of the Cheongung-II anti-aircraft missile defense system. Courtesy of Defense Acquisition Program Administration

The UAE defense ministry announced via Twitter, Wednesday, its intention to acquire the Korean air defense system, adding that it will constitute a qualitative addition to its national air defense capabilities, and that the value of the deal may reach about $3.5 billion (4 trillion won).

The Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) confirmed that the negotiations were underway even though the deal has yet to be finalized.

If struck, the deal will become the single most lucrative weapons export in the history of the nation's defense industry. Until now, the largest single defense industry export, valued at about 1 trillion won, was submarines for Indonesia.

According to the defense industry, the M-SAM, better known as Cheongung-II, is more advanced similar weapons built by its main competitors in the U.S. and Israel.

The state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD) launched the project in 2012 to develop the M-SAM to replace Korea's MIM-23 HAWK system, and the missile passed a suitability evaluation for field operations in 2017.

LIG Nex1 is the main contractor that has been mass-producing the weapon since 2018, and other local companies such as Hanwha Systems, Hanwha Defense and Kia also participated in the project.

The defense industry expects that the UAE's deal to import the Korean-made missile system will help boost the competitiveness of local defense companies on the global stage.

“A purchasing deal between Korea and the UAE could verify performance of locally developed weapons to global buyers,” an official of the defense industry said.

Cheongung-II, a core element of Korea's multi-layered anti-missile program, is an upgraded version of Cheongung to intercept lower-tier ballistic missiles in flight at altitudes of below 40 kilometers and possesses unparalleled deployability and operability.

The system is known to have an unmatched precision rate in terms of hit-to-kill capabilities, exceptional maneuverability and a world-class kill probability with omnidirectional coverage achieved by the employment of vertical launch, according to the ADD.

The Cheongung-II is equipped with both high-performance side-thrust-motors, which significantly reduce the miss distance, and lethality enhancers which help increase effectiveness against difficult-to-target threats, such as ballistic missiles.

The deal comes after President Moon Jae-in said at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition last month that the government will implement policies to help globalize the nation's defense industry and strengthen industrial competitiveness.