South Korea has completed the development of the Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM) system.
This comes more than a year after the system’s development trials were concluded in June last year, followed by operational testing and evaluation for combat suitability.
Mass production is expected to commence in 2025 and induction in the late 2020s.
“A ceremony marking the completion of the L-SAM, designed to shoot down incoming targets at altitudes of above 40 kilometers (25 miles), took place at the Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon,” Yonhap News Agency wrote, citing the South Korean Ministry of Defense.
The system employs “hit-to-kill” technology to intercept a range of targets, including both cruise and ballistic missiles, with a kill vehicle.
It has a stated range of 150 kilometers (93 miles), and a higher range version is also being developed.
Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile
The L-SAM will augment South Korea’s multi-layered air defense shield called the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD), which includes the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and M-SAM II, with a flight ceiling of less than 40 kilometers (25 miles).
For upper-tier threats of 40 to 150 kilometers (25 to 93 miles) altitudes, the country relies on the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.
The KAMD is the cornerstone of South Korea’s three-axis deterrence structure, including the Kill Chain preemptive strike platform and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation system.
“The KAMD is a system that defends our territory while the other two systems are more focused on the offensive,” Yonhap News Agency quoted a defense ministry official as saying.
“The development of L-SAM is meaningful as we get another opportunity for interception at a higher altitude. This enhances the level of defense for our territory.”