Seoul: South Korea has launched a KRW 869 billion (USD 624 million) project to develop a new homegrown missile system designed to intercept targets at higher altitudes compared with existing ones, Yonhap News Agency reported Friday.
According to Kuwait News Agency, South Korea will develop the mid-range surface-to-air-missile (M-SAM) Block-III system by 2030, as stated by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The envisioned M-SAM system is expected to detect and intercept targets at longer distances and higher altitudes than its predecessors, with improved simultaneous combat capabilities.
DAPA anticipates that the new M-SAM will enhance the military's defense capabilities by performing at a level similar to US-made PAC-3 missiles. Once completed, the new system will upgrade the multi-layered defense network alongside other homegrown defense systems.
"We will develop the M-SAM Block-III system that satisfies both performance and price to ensure it contributes to strengthening our competitiveness in exports," said DAPA Vice Commissioner Kang Hwan-seok. The M-SAM, together with the long-range surface-to-air-missile (L-SAM), is designed to play a key role in South Korea's multilayered missile shield, known as the Korea Air and Missile Defense.