South Korean defence industry demonstrates its tech prowess

The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) has recently showcased numerous new items of kit including four new weapon systems: the Light Armed Helicopter from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI); the containerised 20kW Cheongwang (Sky Light) Laser Anti-Air Weapon Block I from Hanwha Defense; Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM-I) Ure (Thunder) and 230mm unguided rocket from Hanwha Aerospace.

Meanwhile, the Barracuda 4x4 armoured vehicle, M18 57mm recoilless rifle and M45 Quadmount towed air defence system have all recently been retired by the force.

Many of the country’s defence firms were out in force at the inaugural Korea Army International Defence Industry Exhibition (KADEX) which took place last month in the Gyeryongdae military complex on the outskirt of southeastern city of Gyeryong where many of the new product announcements were made.

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The KTSSM-I, a tactical ballistic missile weighing 1.5t, can be launched from Hanwha Aerospace’s K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher (MRL) and contains a 500kg penetrative thermobaric warhead. Hanwha Aerospace has also been in the early stages of developing an anti-ship ballistic missile for the Chunmoo, which has been slated for deployment in 2027, with the Philippines said to be the target customer.

Hanwha focuses on extending range and introducing uncrewed elements

Hanwha has planned an optionally manned-unmanned teaming version of its popular K9 155mm self-propelled howitzer, leading it to declare that “this advanced artillery system integrates unmanned and autonomous driving technologies, allowing for remote operation without a crew”.

Referred to as the K9A3, the howitzer will have an extended firing range of 80km thanks to a 155mm L/5 gun barrel. A K11A1 fire direction and control vehicle can simultaneously control three K9A3s, which otherwise could operate with just two crewmen – a gunner and driver.

Hanwha is also imagining unmanned next-generation artillery pieces using railguns that have a range of anywhere from 100–400km.

Hanwha Aerospace, meanwhile, has proposed a truck-mounted 155mm howitzer “optimised for rapid deployment and air transport” for the export market. The company claimed that the “nimble, wheel-based version enhances operational flexibility and mobility in dynamic combat environments”.

It comprises an 8x8 truck chassis that mounts a K9A2 turret and gun with fully automated loading system. The tracked K9A1 was defeated by the RCH-155 in the UK’s Mobile Fires Platform competition in April, since it was considered too heavy, but the truck-based platform should correspondingly address weight concerns.

Meanwhile, a rollout ceremony for a fully localised 1,000hp engine for the K9 was held on 27 September. Designed by STX Engine after being awarded a $24.3 million contract in April 2021, this development should expand the exportability of the K9. MTU engines were previously built under license by STX, and German permission was required for any K9 sales.

Back at KADEX, Hanwha Aerospace showcased its Redback-K IFV concept, aimed at a ROKA requirement for replacing the in-service K21. As suggested by its name, it is based on the AS21 Redback being acquired by the Australian Army. The Redback-K features an unmanned turret armed with a 40mm CTA cannon from SNT and a Hanwha active protection system, although a 30mm cannon would also be available for export customers.

Skyward innovation

ROKA’s new Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), christened as the Mireuon or Dragon, is being manufactured by KAI and will replace all of ROKA’s MD 500 and AH-1S Cobra helicopters by 2031.

On 4 December 2023, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved a second production batch of LAHs, and KAI subsequently announced it had signed a KRW1.4 trillion ($1.1 billion) contract for an undisclosed number of helicopters to be delivered by Q4 2025. This followed a first-batch contract worth $236 million for 10 helicopters in December 2022.

The second batch will see the installation of Adaptive Defence Antennas (ADA), which feature a GPS anti-jamming solution, after Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced a contract to deliver the antennas last December.

Meanwhile, KAI has completed production of KUH-1 Surion helicopters for ROKA. DAPA announced on 24 June that the 210th and final Surion helicopter had been fielded. Deliveries to the army have taken place over the past 12 years, but production has continued for the ROK Marine Corps and other government agencies.

The Surion has continued to evolve, with KAI implementing local production of the transmission system, for example.

Cho Hyun-ki, base power business management division director at DAPA, said, “We plan to continuously improve the performance of Surion helicopters and, in addition, we’ll do our best to ensure that Surion can flap its wings overseas.” The Surion has yet to achieve any export sales.

Thanks to incoming Surions, ROKA could retire its fleet of 129 UH-1Hs in 2020. In September this year, the ROK Navy retired the last of its UH-1H helicopters after 46 years of service. The ROKN once operated 14 UH-1Hs for transport, special operations and firefighting roles, but remaining aircraft transitioned to a training role in 2021. Once the first Bell 505s arrived in South Korea in November 2023, they took over this training mission for the navy.

DAPA has also signed a contract with Poland’s WB Group to procure Warmate 3 loitering munitions, which feature a 30km operational range and 1.7m wingspan. Deliveries will be expected to occur throughout 2025, although the value of the contract and the quantity of aircraft have not been disclosed.

Missile development targets aggression north of the border

Turning to LIG Nex1, the company has recently unveiled its ‘Gun-Type Micro Guided Missile’ concept, fired from an under-barrel launcher on an assault rifle. The tiny missile with a semi-active laser seeker is 500mm long and has a 40mm diameter. It can be guided onto its target by a laser target designator mounted on the rifle. The missile has a 1,000m range and weighs just 1.5kg, meaning it could only be used against soft targets.

LIG Nex1 has also supplied at least 20 TPQ-74K mobile weapon locating radars to the ROK military. Deployment of these Sky Mirror radars was completed in March. The truck-mounted TPQ-74K is a C-band active electronically scanned array radar that works in the 4-8GHz bandwidth.

Elsewhere, LIG Nex1 has continued working on Low-Altitude Missile Defence (LAMD) and Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM) systems. Work on the LAMD kicked off in 2023 and a first battery will be expected to deploy in 2028. The LAMD, with 15km range, is similar in concept to Israel’s Iron Dome and will be utilised to counter the missile threat from North Korea. Meanwhile, the first L-SAM unit will be produced next year, ready for fielding in 2026.

Earlier in October, the ROK military paraded a Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile for the first time. Possessing a purported 3,000km range, this two-stage missile weighs 36t and has an 8t warhead. It has been designed primarily as a bunker-buster for use against North Korean hardened underground facilities and it is said to be capable of destroying structures 100m below the surface.

Carried by a Kia 18x18 transporter-erector-launcher, the solid-fuel Hyunmoo-5 made by Hanwha Aerospace is estimated to be around 16m long and have a 1.6m diameter.

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