The military authorities said on the 3rd that the Cheongung II, a medium-range surface-to-air guided weapon, was swiftly deployed and began its mission. Cheongung II is responsible for lower-tier defense in the military's missile defense system.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, the first equipment among the planned force integration of Cheongung II was deployed to the Gyeonggi Missile Defense Battery on May 1 and began its mission on Aug. 1 after simulated training that reflected the actual battery's operational environment.
The Ministry of National Defense said that expanding the Cheongung II operating units has further strengthened lower-tier defense capability during the terminal phase of ballistic missiles, and that once the long-range surface-to-air guided weapon L-SAM is fielded in the late 2020s, a multi-layered defense system covering both upper and lower tiers of the terminal phase will be established.
The U.S.-made Patriot (PAC-3) currently deployed and the domestically produced Cheongung II are in charge of lower-tier defense below an altitude of 40 kilometers, while L-SAM can intercept ballistic missiles at an upper tier ahead of that.
The military is also developing next-generation interception systems, including Cheongung III with improved engagement capability, L-SAM II with a higher intercept altitude, and a long-range artillery interception system capable of responding to North Korea's long-range artillery. It is also reviewing development of high-energy laser weapons as one means of missile defense.
Kim Ki-young, director general for force policy at the Ministry of National Defense, said the ministry will pool advanced defense science and technology capabilities to fully establish an overlapping, composite, multi-layered defense system that can respond swiftly and accurately to increasingly sophisticated aerial threats.