South Korean defence prime Hanwha Aerospace announced on 10 June that it has been awarded a contract by the government-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD) to support development of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Armed Forces’ future long-range surface-to-air missile II air defence system (L-SAM II).
The company noted in its statement that it will be responsible for the system integration, including technology integration and validation of the L-SAM-II missile, as well as prototype development of the launcher system. The contract is worth US$146 million and is expected to be completed by 2028.
The L-SAM II program was formally launched by the Defense Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) earlier in January. DAPA said in a statement that a US$389.8 million investment will be earmarked for the L-SAM II development through 2028, and will also involve the ADD and about 19 companies.
The agency noted that L-SAM II will be capable of intercepting missiles at a higher altitude and at a longer range than the original L-SAM system. Development of the L-SAM was completed in mid-2024, with serial production expected to commence this year. The L-SAM is designed to intercept ballistic missiles out to 150 kilometres away and at altitudes between 40 and 100 kilometres. The system has been under development by ADD and LIG Nex1 since 2019.
An L-SAM battery comprises a multifunction radar, a command-and-control (C2) centre; a combat control station, and four truck-mounted launchers, two of which are equipped with anti-aircraft and the other two with anti-ballistic missiles.
DAPA earlier announced in April 2023 that it approved funding worth US$1.86 billion to develop L-SAM II from 2024 to 2035.
This would also entail the research and development of a gliding-stage interceptor missile aimed at countering some of North Korea’s latest hypersonic weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Meanwhile, Hanwha Aerospace subsidiary Hanwha Systems earlier announced on 27 May that it has been awarded a US$40 million contract by the ADD to develop a multifunction radar (MFR) for the L-SAM-II system.
by Jr Ng
