South Korea has successfully developed a long-range surface-to-air missile, just by using domestic technology.
This means the new missile can strike enemy targets at higher altitudes.
Our Correspondent Bae Eun-ji explains more.
A missile precisely hits a target.
This is a video released by South Korea’s defense ministry, which announced Friday that it has successfully developed a long-range surface-to-air missile, also known as ‘L-SAM.’
The new missile system aims to shoot down North Korean missiles at higher altitudes, as it’s said to be capable of striking targets at altitudes of 40 to 70 kilometers.
It will contribute to the country’s layered missile defense capabilities along with the U.S. Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and the domestically-developed Cheongung-II, which intercept targets at altitudes lower than 40 kilometers.
Since 2015, the country spent over 850-million dollars developing this new missile system.
The chief researcher who led the development said the L-SAM will be able to strengthen the combat power of South Korea’s military.
“With the development of the upper-layer defense system L-SAM, along with the lower-layer defense system Cheongung-2, we will establish a Korean multi-layer missile defense system by only using domestic technology.”
At a ceremony on Friday to mark the completion of the missile’s development Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun delivered a strong warning message to North Korea.
“The L-SAM will act as our guardian and deterrent, protecting the lives and property of Koreans. Even in the case of a missile attack from North Korea, it will not be able to break our military’s strong defense system, and the North will face a much greater cost, an end to its own regime.”
President Yoon Suk Yeol also sent a congratulatory message, calling the development a “groundbreaking advancement” in the Korean missile defense system to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
The military plans to start manufacturing L-SAM next year, and deploy it operationally in the mid-to-late 2020s.
Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.
source : https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=278529
