South Korea’s State-of-the-Art Surface-to-Air Interceptor ‌System Exported to Iraq

South Korea’s domestically developed surface-to-air interceptor system, ‘Cheongung II’, has been exported to Iraq, marking the ‌third trillion-unit export deal ​after ⁤the United Arab Emirates ‌and Saudi Arabia. The contract is worth approximately 3.7 trillion won.

LIG Nex1 announced the signing of ⁤the export contract with the‌ Iraqi Ministry of National Defense on the 20th. This deal is equivalent⁣ to​ 1.6 times the total sales of LIG Nex1 last year.

The Cheongung-II battery consists of‌ four launch vehicles equipped with eight launch ​tubes, a multi-function radar, and an ⁢engagement control center. The system is designed to intercept⁤ ballistic missiles and aircraft flying at an altitude of 40 km or less, with a superior warhead that destroys targets by direct collision.

Cheongung-II is ​considered⁢ a core weapon of the ⁤Korean Missile ⁤Defense System (KAMD), utilizing engagement control technology ​to intercept ballistic missiles, multi-function‌ radar tracking technology, and precision seeker ⁢for⁤ simultaneous multi-target engagement.

This is not the first time Cheongung-II has been exported.⁤ It was first exported ⁢to⁢ the UAE in 2022 and then​ to Saudi Arabia in February this year,⁢ gaining recognition for its technology and reliability in ⁣the global air defense market.

LIG Nex1 expects the deployment of Cheongung-II in ⁤the air defense networks of three Middle Eastern‌ countries to increase the possibility of additional exports of ​long-range and high-altitude interceptor systems to these countries.

Shin Ik-hyeon,​ CEO of⁤ LIG Nex1, attributed the success to the full ‌support of related organizations and close cooperation from the defense industry, including partner companies. He emphasized⁣ the ‍company’s commitment ‍to ensuring this achievement raises the status of K-Defense and creates new ‌growth opportunities abroad⁣ for small and medium-sized defense companies.