SEOUL: According to media reports on Tuesday, the latest move in South Korea’s effort to strengthen its defences against North Korean missiles saw the nation’s new anti-ballistic missile system complete its first successful interception this month. According to the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper and Yonhap news agency, which cited anonymous government and military sources without mentioning the timing, the L-SAM interceptor successfully destroyed a target during a test. Along with the L-SAM, an aircraft-shooting variant was also tested.
Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Agency for Defense Development, and the Ministry of Defense of South Korea, which seldom ever make public weapons testing, declined to corroborate the report. This year, North Korea has conducted a record number of missile tests, including one ICBM launch on Friday. All three countries—South Korea, the US, and Japan—are working to improve missile defence systems.
According to the ADD, the L-SAM is a ‘state-of-the-art indigenous weapon system’ that is being developed to counter missiles and other high-flying threats. In February, the missile had its first successful flight test, which did not include striking a target. It is intended to be a part of a ‘layered defence network’ that already consists of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles built in the US and domestically developed Cheongung II KM-SAM medium-range weapons that can intercept targets at various altitudes and ranges.
L-SAM is expected to go into service in 2026 and be able to intercept incoming missiles at ranges of 50–60 km (30–37 miles). The US military’s THAAD anti-missile batteries are also located in South Korea, and President Yoon Suk-yeol had called for more of these batteries when he was running for office. He has since, though, concentrated on South Korean systems for bolstering defenses.
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