After unveiling its new production line on 14 July, the South Korean missile firm LIG Defense & Aerospace has commenced assembly of initial KSAM-II air defence missiles. The weapon will eventually be adopted by the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).
The missiles are being assembled at Plant 3 in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province.
The initial missile batch will be used for flight and qualification testing. The weapon’s development process will continue till 2030, with around ten test launches expected in that timeframe.
After series production duly commences after that, the long-range KSAM-II is destined to arm Korean Vertical Launching Systems (KVLS) of future KDDX destroyers and FFX Batch IV frigates of the ROKN from around 2032.
These indigenous missiles will gradually replace the US-sourced SM-2. Having an indigenous weapon will reduce risk to South Korea, especially considering the production bottlenecks and depletion of US missile stocks.
LIG Defense & Aerospace was selected as prime contractor for the KSAM-II project in 2024, receiving a development contract worth KRW330.6 billion (US$231 million). Overall, Seoul has valued the weapon programme at about KRW690 billion.
The KSAM-II is approximately 6m long, and it comprises a forward guidance section, main body with the warhead and propulsion unit, and a rear booster. Its speed reaches around Mach 5, and it can manoeuvre under loads of up to 17G.
Passing through around 20 assembly stages, each missile will take around three months to manufacture. Its third-generation seeker reportedly incorporates 1kW gallium nitride solid-state power amplifier technology.
LIG Defense & Aerospace aims to achieve an indigenisation level of 90+% with this air defence missile that is derived from the ground-based L-SAM interceptor. It should offer SM-6-type performance, able to take on aircraft, anti-ship missiles and supersonic cruise missiles.
There is also the possibility of South Korea developing a variant of the KSAM-II for anti-ballistic missile use.
In other news, LIG Defense & Aerospace is finalising the CIWS-II close-in weapon system for ROKN surface combatants. Mass production for the ROKN is due to commence in March 2028, and it will appear on FFX Batch-III frigates and the KDDX, for example.
Responsible for the gun turret, controller, firing system and motor drive, Hyundai WIA unveiled the system on 12 November 2025. Prior to that, LIG Defense & Aerospace completed its production facility for the CIWS-II on 26 June 2025.
This weapon comprises a 360° active electronically scanned array radar, electro-optic targeting system and GAU-8 30mm Gatling cannon with 4,000 rounds-per-minute firing rate. The gun turret can rotate 360° and its elevation range is up to 80˚.
The weapon can fire missile-piercing discarding sabot and frangible missile-piercing discarding sabot ammunition, as well as what it calls Sub-Projectile Radial Ejection and Destruction (SPREAD) rounds. This kind of ammunition is especially useful against drones.
The ROKN has been using the ageing Goalkeeper CIWS from Thales, and the price of the US Phalanx grew alarmingly, which encouraged South Korea to develop its own CIWS for use aboard surface combatants.
by Gordon Arthur
