The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which operates the Cheongung-II, a domestically developed surface-to-air guided weapon, was said on the 5th to have asked the Korean government for early delivery.
According to the defense industry and others that day, after being attacked by Iran and seeing demand rise for air-defense weapons, the UAE asked the Korean government to supply Cheongung-II batteries earlier than the delivery date specified in the contract. However, the government was said to have expressed reluctance, noting that the contract sets a delivery date. In response, the UAE side also requested faster delivery of interceptor missiles. The Korean government was said to be reviewing the request.
Earlier, in 2022, the UAE signed a contract with Korea to introduce 10 Cheongung-II batteries. So far, two batteries have been deployed in the UAE. When Iran carried out missile attacks against neighboring countries, the Cheongung-II deployed in the UAE was also reportedly operated alongside U.S.-made Patriot missiles. LIG Nex1 handled system integration for the Cheongung-II, Hanwha Systems the radar, and Hanwha Aerospace the launchers.
Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party, a member of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, said that about 60 interceptor missiles were launched from the two Cheongung-II batteries deployed in the UAE, achieving a 96% interception success rate, citing a well-informed source.
With the Middle East war continuing, some analysts say the U.S. Forces Korea's air-defense network could be dispatched to the Middle East. In fact, in June last year, ahead of a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, the United States sent part of the Patriot batteries deployed with U.S. Forces Korea to the Middle East and brought them back to Korea in October of the same year.