In the 2008 “Iron Man” movie, Tony Stark dressed in an Iron Man suit raises his armored arm to fire a miniature precision-guided missile towards a tank. The tank explodes into a ball of flames.

Soldiers firing small missiles using their armor may soon become a reality as the South Korean military ramps up development of smart weapon technologies.

Iron Man fires a miniature precision-guided missile towards a tank in the 2008 “Iron Man” movie.

South Korean defense company LIG Nex1 has been at the forefront of developing miniature armament technology, according to people familiar with the matter. The company unveiled a 20-millimeter diameter smart bomb, a type of precision-guided munition, at the Korea Defense Industry Exhibition (DX) last year.

The company’s smart bomb weighs about 2 kilograms and has a maximum range of 2 kilometers. Due to its small size, it can be used against small drones and unmanned turrets.

Smart bombs require the use of a lightweight launcher that can be placed on a soldier’s forearm or shoulder to minimize recoil when fired.

LIG Nex1 developed a smart bomb that can be used against small drones and unmanned turrets. / Chosun Ilbo

The Agency for Defense Development, a Korean research agency that specializes in defense, is leading the development of smart bombs and LIG Nex1 will carry out production.

To use this weapon, a soldier would have to wear a smart armored suit like the one Tony Stark puts on in Iron Man. LIG Nex1 released a concept video about a bulletproof smart suit with a camouflage function - the suit can detect the color of its surroundings and change color accordingly. The helmet is equipped with head-up display (HUD) technology that allows soldiers to view information such as combat situations.

LIG Nex1 released a concept video about a bulletproof smart suit can detect the color of its surroundings and change color accordingly. / LIG Nex1

A soldier wearing the smart armored suit within 2 kilometers of enemy territory will be able to fire a miniature guided missile hidden in the arm of the suit. The missile will follow the target and hit it. If enemy forces happen to be clustered, the missile can be detonated in midair. The missiles can also be guided via video, allowing them to move immediately after launch.

“This is a basic concept, and it’s still a long way off from development and mass production,” said a defense industry insider. “If soldiers can be armed with mini-guided missiles, it could dramatically increase the firepower of rifles and grenades.”

This article was originally published on Sep. 30, 2023.