United Arab Emirates Purchases Cheongung-II Intermediate-Range Missile System From South Korea For IDR 48 Trillion

Cheongung-II medium-range air defense missile system. (Source: Defense Acquisition Program Administration)

JAKARTA - South Korea signed a deal to export Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in a deal reportedly worth 4 trillion won or around IDR 48.042.192.200.000.

This deal marks the first sale of a multi-barreled missile system in South Korea's anti-missile system to a foreign country.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Sunday (local time), LIG ​​Nex1, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Defense each exchanged contracts on Cheongung-II with the Tawazun Economic Council, which is the UAE's defense and security acquisition authority.

They exchanged contracts in the presence of President Moon Jae-in and UAE Prime Minister and Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. President Moon met with the prime minister as part of an eight-day trip to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Defense Acquisition Minister and DAPA head Kang Eun-ho told reporters the deal marked the single most lucrative arms export contract in the history of the Korean defense industry.

To date, the single largest defense industry export deal, worth around 1 trillion won, has been for submarines sold to Indonesia.

The Cheongung-II Intermediate-Range Missile System, developed by the Defense Development Agency and contract produced by the three companies, is an upgraded version of the Cheongung.

The system is designed to intercept low-level ballistic missiles flying at altitudes below 40 kilometers, offering a high degree of precision in terms of hit-to-kill capability.

"While the Cheongung was developed to intercept aircraft, the Cheongung-II is capable of intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles. I can proudly confirm the capability of the system," Kang explained, citing the Korea Times January 17.

Along with the missile system agreement, DAPA and the UAE defense ministry signed an MOU for medium and long-term bilateral cooperation in the field of defense technology, in which the two countries will jointly explore weapons demand and development. Including the Cheongung-II and the MOU on defense cooperation, three other documents were signed by the president and prime minister.

"During his meeting with the Prime Minister of the UAE, President Moon said he was very happy to sign the defense MOU and saw the smooth progress of the Cheongung-II agreement," presidential spokesman Park Kyung-mee said.

"President Moon also emphasized the two efforts for mutual defense cooperation, which resulted in joint research, development, manufacturing in the UAE and joint exports to third countries," he said.