S. Korea to begin development of shipborne missile interceptor this year

The HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' booth at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul is seen in this June 7, 2023, file photo. Yonhap

South Korea will start developing an advanced ship-based missile interceptor this year, according to the state arms procurement agency, amid efforts to counter evolving North Korean military threats.

Last year, the country's defense authorities approved a 690 billion-won ($520 million) project set to run through 2030 to develop the "ship-to-air missile-II" designed to shoot down aircraft and cruise missiles.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it will push to begin research and development of the missile this year, aiming to equip it on the Navy's next-generation destroyer currently under development.

The missile will be designed to have improved performance compared to the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) currently used by the Navy, DAPA said, without providing details. The SM-2 interceptor, built by U.S. missile maker Raytheon, has a range of 90 nautical miles, or 166.7 kilometers.

The project comes amid Pyongyang's push to develop new weapons systems, highlighted by its launches of purported "strategic" cruise missiles earlier this year. (Yonhap)