The development of the long-range artillery interception system, known as the Korean-style Iron Dome, officially began on the 20th.
On the 20th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration held a meeting to kick off the long-range artillery interception system development project at the Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon. Participants included the Agency for Defense Development, along with LIG Nex1, Hanwha Aerospace, and Hanwha Systems.
The long-range artillery interception system is an air defense weapon developed under the supervision of the Agency for Defense Development. It is designed to protect the metropolitan area's national and military critical facilities from North Korea's long-range artillery, which can fall simultaneously. The goal is to develop a Korean-style long-range artillery interception system that can respond to more targets than the Iron Dome, which gained fame for its operational use in the war against Hamas.
The Agency for Defense Development will invest 479.8 billion won in the development of the long-range artillery interception system by 2028. A Defense Acquisition Program Administration official noted, "We will carry out the development through the system integration capabilities and the experience gained in the process of developing multiple air defense weapons systems, as well as in battle control, precise detection, and tracking technology."
Bang Keuk-cheol, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's guided weapons project division, said, "The commencement of the long-range artillery interception system development signifies that we are directly securing robust air defense capabilities to protect the nation, military critical facilities, and the lives of our citizens from the substantial threat posed by North Korean long-range artillery," adding, "We will collaborate more closely with the Agency for Defense Development, the military, and prototype companies."