LIG Nex1 and Hyundai Rotem will jointly develop a Korean-type long-range air-to-air guided weapon (a weapon that is launched from the air to hit a target in the air). The two companies will also challenge the missile engine development, which is a key business of Hanwha Aerospace.
According to the defense industry on the 1st, LIG Nex1 and Hyundai Rotem were selected as the preferred negotiators for the production project of the airframe structure and propulsion system among the six projects for the development of a prototype of the long-range air-to-air guided weapon last month. The airframe structure refers to the design that encompasses the outer shell of the missile and the arrangement of internal components.
The propulsion system that the two companies will develop is a ducted ramjet engine with an integrated air intake structure. This engine generates thrust by sucking in ambient air and then combusting it. The thrust varies according to the amount of air sucked in, making an integrated design with the airframe structure essential.
Missiles are broadly divided into a head and a body. The head includes the warhead and seeker, while the body contains the engine, fuel tank, and control system, with LIG Nex1 and Hyundai Rotem responsible for the body. An air-to-air missile must intercept a fast-flying fighter jet from hundreds of kilometers away at an even faster speed. It must be strong enough to withstand speeds over Mach 4 (4,900 km/h) and light enough to be mounted on a fighter jet.
The development of the European air-to-air guided weapon Meteor, which will be mounted on the next-generation Korean fighter KF-21, also took 17 years to complete.
LIG Nex1 has been in charge of the comprehensive development of medium- and long-range surface-to-air guided weapons, such as Cheongung and Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM), but has no history of developing missile engines. Hyundai Rotem has also engaged in rocket projects, producing test facilities for the propulsion systems of the Korean launch vehicle Naro from 2011, but has not participated in missile projects. The two companies aim to expand their business territory into missiles by utilizing their experiences in guided weapons and rocket engine development.
LIG Nex1 has also secured a project to develop a prototype of the guidance control device and data link for the long-range air-to-air missile. The guidance control device plays a role in ensuring that the missile flies accurately toward the target. The data link is a device that allows the missile and the fighter jet to exchange data, which improves hit accuracy. LIG Nex1 will also create a prototype of the actuator that controls the flight attitude by moving the wings according to the guidance control device.
Prototype development typically involves turning the design blueprints created by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) into reality. Industry insiders believe that as advanced weapon system development projects progress, competition will become fiercer from the prototype development stage.
In the prototype development project for the long-range air-to-air guided weapon, Hanwha Aerospace will be responsible for the system integration to assemble the components of the long-range air-to-air guided weapon into finished goods, while Hanwha Systems will develop a prototype of the seeker, which serves as the eyes of the guided weapon.