South Korea's new laser weapons intercept three drones during integrated combat exercise.

South Korea's Hanwha Systems successfully intercepted three target drones using its operational 20 kW-class Cheongwang Block-I laser air defense weapon and a separate 30 kW vehicle-mounted prototype during the Republic of Korea Army's TIGER+ Future Warfare Integrated Combat Exercise in Yangpyeong. Conducted under the supervision of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT), the demonstration showcased the ongoing transition from stationary point-defense systems toward mobile, low-cost counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capabilities against asymmetric drone threats.

On September 16, 2026, South Korea's Hanwha Systems demonstrated its Cheongwang laser air defense weapon at the Defense Drone Technology Exhibition in Pocheon's Seungjin training area, achieving a 100% interception rate during the test. (Picture source: Hanwha Systems)

On October 14, 2026, South Korea's Hanwha Systems intercepted three drones with two laser weapons during the South Korean Army's TIGER+ Future Warfare Integrated Combat Exercise in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. The demonstration involved the operational Cheongwang Block-I, originally rated at 20 kW, and a separate 30 kW vehicle-mounted laser developed under the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT). Both weapons collectively destroyed all three targets before 500 attendees, including Army Chief of Staff General Kim Gyu-ha, although their individual interception results, engagement distances, and target speeds were not disclosed.

The exercise also combined electronic jamming with K21 infantry fighting vehicle fire, while the nine successful laser interceptions recorded across September and October 2026 confirmed South Korea's progression from fixed-site protection toward mobile counter-drone defense. The Cheongwang laser weapon originated in a 2019 Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) program led by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Hanwha Systems. Following trials in 2022-2023 and a public interception on July 31, 2024, it entered service in December 2024, including deployment near government and defense facilities in Seoul's Yongsan district. Five installations were operational by June 2026, with ten more planned, including at the National Assembly.

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Its 20 kW-class fiber laser engages small multicopters, FPV drones, and fixed-wing UAVs at 2 to 3 km, corresponding to theoretical circular coverage of 12.57 to 28.27 km² per installation before terrain and line-of-sight restrictions. Logically, fifteen installations would provide no more than 424 km² of idealized non-overlapping coverage at 3 km, equivalent to less than 0.5% of South Korea's territory. Their principal purpose, however, is point defense, to address vulnerabilities exposed when five North Korean drones entered South Korean airspace on December 26, 2022, and South Korean aircraft failed to intercept them. On June 1, 2026, DAPA announced that ADD and Hanwha Systems had developed a domestic laser oscillator to replace the Cheongwang's German-origin component, improving output and other principal characteristics by more than 50%.

Tests reduced destructive exposure against rotary-wing FPV drones from 2-4 seconds to 1-2 seconds, while fixed-wing UAV interception times fell from more than ten seconds to several seconds. At the original 20 kW nominal output, two seconds of irradiation corresponds to 40 kilojoules of emitted optical energy, although the upgraded weapon's actual output and target absorption remain unspecified. A 1-2 second destructive dwell theoretically permits 30-60 exposures per minute without acquisition or transition delays, not 30-60 confirmed interceptions. The improvement reduces the beam time needed per target, potentially increasing engagement opportunities during concentrated attacks, while domestic oscillator production reduces dependence on foreign suppliers. Whether the October demonstration used this upgraded component remains unconfirmed. The September and October demonstrations established nine successful interceptions, but not a measured capability against simultaneous drone attacks.

On September 16, the Cheongwang consecutively destroyed four drones and two larger UAVs at the Seungjin training area; on October 14, both the Cheongwang and the 30 kW laser jointly destroyed three more, including one that caught fire and fell. A single beam director must irradiate spatially separated targets sequentially, making acquisition and target-switching times critical. Ten drones requiring two seconds of irradiation each would consume at least 20 seconds of beam time, rising to 50 seconds with an illustrative three-second acquisition and transition interval per target. Neither demonstration established target speeds, engagement distances, atmospheric conditions, or interceptions per minute, preventing a more in-depth assessment of resistance to saturation attacks. The 30 kW vehicle-mounted laser, developed by Hanwha Systems under KRIT supervision, increases nominal optical output by 50% over the original Cheongwang while introducing new requirements for onboard electricity, stabilization, and cooling.

Its miniaturized components and phase-change thermal management enable vehicle integration, but stored heat must eventually be dissipated. At an illustrative 40% electrical-to-optical efficiency, 30 kW of optical output requires 75 kW of electrical input and generates 45 kW of conversion heat, equivalent to 450 kilojoules during ten seconds of continuous firing. These calculations are not confirmed specifications of the weapon. The October exercise established successful interception, but not firing while moving, generator capacity, battery endurance, cooling recovery time, or the number of consecutive engagements sustainable without external support. Hanwha is separately developing a 50 kW laser weapon integrated with the Tigon 8×8 armored personnel carrier, displayed at MSPO in Kielce, Poland, in September 2026. Its output is 2.5 times the original Cheongwang's and 66.7% greater than the 30 kW demonstrator, corresponding to 100 kilojoules of emitted optical energy during two seconds at nominal output, against 40 and 60 kilojoules, respectively.

Prototype development is underway, with serial production targeted for late 2027 and prospective customers in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, but no confirmed foreign orders or completed operational qualification. South Korea also plans mobile Block-II development and higher-power Block-III research, including a 100 kW-class naval objective after 2030. Higher output may reduce destructive exposure or expand the engagement envelope, but neither improvement can be quantified without comparative tests of beam transmission, tracking accuracy, and target resistance. The Cheongwang's relatively limited engagement range imposes measurable limits on reaction time against approaching drones. At 3 km, an aircraft flying directly toward the defended asset at 20, 30, 50, or 70 m/s would arrive in 150, 100, 60, or 42.9 seconds; at 2 km, those intervals fall to 100, 66.7, 40, and 28.6 seconds.

Actual engagement windows are shorter when detection, acquisition, tracking, and terrain restrictions are included. Fog, rain, dust, and atmospheric turbulence further reduce beam effectiveness, while a single laser cannot maintain destructive exposure on several separated targets simultaneously. The October exercise's combination of lasers, electronic jamming, and K21 gunfire therefore illustrates the requirement for complementary defenses: jamming against susceptible communications or navigation links, lasers against suitable visible targets, and conventional weapons when laser engagement is restricted. South Korea's proposed 2027 defense budget allocates 73.28 trillion won to military expenditure, up 8.2%, including 22.71 trillion won for capability improvements and 8.06 trillion won for drone and counter-drone programs, an 18.8% increase.

High-power laser hard-kill research accounts for 121 billion won, alongside planned Block-I expansion and mobile Block-II development. The Cheongwang's reported 2,000-won firing expenditure, equivalent to $1.50 at the manufacturer's quoted conversion, implies 2 million won for 1,000 firings or 20 million won for 10,000, excluding procurement, electricity, cooling, maintenance, and personnel. Its initial development cost was 87.1 billion won through April 2023, while domestic oscillator production has increased the reported localization rate to 90% by value. With five fixed installations deployed and ten more planned, procurement decisions depend on actual defended coverage, interception rates during concentrated attacks, weather-dependent availability, and lifetime operating costs. For the mobile 30 kW and 50 kW weapons, electrical autonomy, cooling endurance, and the ability to engage drones while accompanying maneuver forces remain the principal capabilities requiring further demonstration.

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Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.