Cheongung-II, Korea's medium-range surface-to-air interception system, is emerging as a "game changer" on battlefields around the world. As demand to expand air defense networks has surged due to various wars and supply of the U.S. Patriot, which has monopolized this field, has run into disruptions, more countries are focusing on Cheongung-II, which offers strong value for money and has been combat-proven.
According to the defense industry on the 18th, an official at LIG Defense&Aerospace (LIG D&A), which led development of the Cheongung-II integrated system, said on a conference call on the 7th that "the combat-proven effect from the U.S.-Iran war is serving as Cheongung-II's global marketing assets," adding, "real-world data of 29 hits out of 30 rounds is leading to new inquiries from many countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South America."
Industry watchers expect new contracts to be signed soon in Qatar and Kuwait. Switzerland is also said to have begun considering Cheongung-II instead of the Patriot.
◇ Cheongung-II proven in combat… more flexible attacks than the Patriot
Cheongung-II is a medium-range surface-to-air interception system developed to respond simultaneously to aerial threats such as ballistic missiles and aircraft. One battery consists of a multifunction radar vehicle (Hanwha Systems), an engagement control center vehicle (LIG D&A), and a launcher vehicle (Hanwha Aerospace and Kia). Each launcher can carry up to eight guided missiles and can fire in succession. It intercepts using a hit-to-kill method that self-destructs on direct impact, engaging ballistic missiles at altitudes of 15–20 km and aircraft above 20 km. Its effective range reaches up to 50 km.
Cheongung-II began drawing global attention following the war between the United States and Iran. Until now, Cheongung-II had been exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE; about $3.5 billion), Saudi Arabia (about $3.5 billion) and Iraq (about $2.5 billion), but it had not been used in combat. Its status changed, however, as the UAE was reported to have intercepted 96% of Iran's missiles and drones with Cheongung-II. It began to be seen as an alternative to the U.S. Patriot, a medium- to low-altitude surface-to-air interception system.
According to the Financial Times (FT), the price per Patriot missile is $3.7 million (about 5.4 billion won), and delivery takes four to six years. A Cheongung-II missile costs $1.1 million (about 1.6 billion won), making it far cheaper than the Patriot. In addition, as LIG D&A is expanding its production capacity and operating two shifts, Cheongung-II output is expected to increase within nine to 12 months.
Cheongung-II's flexible attack mode is also cited as a strength. The system uses a "cold launch" technique. It pops the missile more than 10 meters above the launcher, ignites it in the air, and then has it turn toward the target in flight. An LIG D&A official said, "There's no need to rotate the launcher itself toward the target, and there's no flame or backblast affecting the ground or nearby equipment."
By contrast, the Patriot must always ignite the missile inside an angled launcher, and to change direction, the entire launcher must be physically rotated. The high-temperature flames also wear down equipment quickly. Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said, "Radar performance for detecting ballistic missiles and the like is far superior on Cheongung-II compared with the Patriot."
◇ "Countries without the Patriot could bring in Cheongung-II first"… need fast deliveries and sales push
The global defense market is watching whether Cheongung-II can be an alternative that reduces reliance on the Patriot. The Patriot has long been the standard for Western air defenses, but in recent years concerns have grown that missile supply or maintenance support could become uncertain depending on U.S. administration changes or shifts in foreign policy. With geopolitical tensions rising due to wars in the Middle East, some countries have faced "security gaps" depending on how the United States allocates Patriot inventories. Switzerland, where Patriot deliveries have been delayed by four to five years, is a prime example.
Some say demand will keep rising for Cheongung-II as a complement to fill gaps rather than a complete replacement for the Patriot. The Patriot has a 100-km range, longer than Cheongung-II. But Cheongung-II can serve as a "goalkeeper," clearing out missiles the Patriot misses. The UAE, which uses the Patriot, also adopted Cheongung-II to make its air defense network denser.
Kim Ho-sung, dean of the GAST Graduate School of Engineering at the National University of Changwon, said, "For layered defense, you have to stack multiple air defense nets, so Cheongung-II, a low-altitude air defense system, cannot be a single solution," but added, "for countries that have not yet introduced the Patriot, it's worth considering prioritizing Cheongung-II given price and delivery timelines."
Some also say expanding production capacity and government support are needed to boost Cheongung-II exports. Shin said, "We haven't even delivered all the contracted shipments to the Middle East yet, so we need to secure fast delivery," adding, "If we can produce and deliver faster than the United States, we can win more orders." Kim stressed, "The government should proactively push Cheongung-II sales by presenting data on quantities it can supply directly and delivery schedules."