South Korean authorities announced on Friday that they have successfully developed a new ballistic missile interception system to address the escalating missile threats from North Korea.
The newly developed “Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile” (L-SAM) in South Korea belongs to the “Ballistic Missile Terminal High Altitude Defense System.” This system has the capability to intercept missiles or aircraft at altitudes exceeding 40 kilometers, assisting the military in achieving a “three-tier” defense strategy. When enemy missiles enter the atmosphere, it can effectively identify and destroy incoming missiles in high altitude.
Currently, the American-deployed Patriot PAC-3 missiles and South Korea’s domestically produced M-SAM-II missiles are part of the lower-tier terminal defense system, primarily intercepting threats near the ground or in the mid-to-low altitude. The THAAD system deployed in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, although responsible for high-altitude area defense, is a U.S. military asset in South Korea that may not be immediately available for South Korea at critical moments.
South Korea stated that in the face of missile attacks from the enemy in the future, they will first use the newly developed L-SAM for high-altitude interceptions. If high-altitude interception fails, the Patriot and M-SAM-II missile defense systems will continue to intercept in the lower altitude. This multi-layer defense mechanism will further enhance South Korea’s defense capabilities.
The L-SAM project was initiated in 2015 with an investment of approximately 1.2 trillion South Korean won (about 6.23 billion yuan), and its interception capability is only slightly lower than the THAAD system, still possessing strong defensive capabilities.
South Korea’s Defense Science Research Institute stated that the L-SAM system incorporates cutting-edge technologies such as hit-to-kill, direct attack control system (DACS), and infrared imaging (IIR), all independently developed by South Korea. Currently, only a few countries like the United States and Israel possess similar advanced technologies.
The South Korean military announced that the L-SAM will begin mass production next year and intends to complete combat deployment in the mid-to-late 2020s. Additionally, they are actively developing an improved version of L-SAM (L-SAM-II) as well as a long-range artillery interception system (LAMD) to further strengthen defense capabilities.
The statement read, “L-SAM is an advanced weapon capable of intercepting enemy missiles in high altitude to minimize damage to the land and expand our military’s missile defense capability to higher altitudes and wider areas.”
Reuters analysis indicates that South Korea’s breakthrough in missile technology is closely tied to North Korea’s characterization of South Korea as a “hostile state” and its abandonment of “unification” as a national goal. The article recounts past naval clashes between North and South Korea, with North Korea even shelling a South Korean island in 2010, although North Korea has never launched missiles at South Korea.