South Korea ramping up missile defense capabilities as L-SAM interceptor test succeeds

Defense News June 2023 Global Security army industry
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SEOUL, June 1, 2023 - The South Korean Defense Ministry announced a successful interception test of the Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM), marking its third success out of four attempts. The L-SAM interceptor was launched on May 30, 2023, from the Anheung testing site of the Agency for Defense Development in Taean, 109 kilometers southwest of Seoul, according to reports from the South Korean press agency YONHAP NEWS.
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South Korea's Show of Strength: L-SAM interceptor missile successfully launched in recent test fire. (Picture source South Korean defense ministry)

The L-SAM, a key homegrown missile interceptor currently under development, is a part of South Korea's vigorous efforts to deter evolving North Korean threats. It is being developed by Hanwha and LIG Nex1, two of South Korea's leading defense companies. The interceptor is designed to target and destroy ballistic missiles from North Korea during their terminal phase using a trailer-mounted S band Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

As an upper-tier interceptor, L-SAM is a crucial part of the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) project, a layered defense system slated to be operational in the early 2020s. This system also includes the lower-tier Patriot PAC-3 and KM-SAM batteries.

The L-SAM system is touted as having performance levels twice superior to the Patriot and KM-SAM missiles. Its design features a hot launch type Vertical Launching System (VLS), contrasting with the KM-SAM, which uses a cold launch type VLS developed in Russia.

The L-SAM system is expected to comprise two types of interceptors: one for aircraft and the other for ballistic missiles. These missile interceptors will be capable of intercepting missiles at altitudes between 40-100 km. A typical L-SAM battery will include a multifunction radar, a command-and-control (C2) center, a combat control station, and four truck-mounted launchers, with two designated for each missile type.

The first successful test-firing of the L-SAM interceptor took place on February 23, 2022, to verify its ability to fly on an intended trajectory and hit a pre-set target accurately. With this latest successful test, South Korea continues to make significant strides in developing a robust missile defense system in response to the potential North Korean threats.