The Cheongung, whose system development began in 2006, will be mass-produced by 2020 to replace the outdated American-made 'Hawk'. (Photo by LIG Nex1)
[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu]The deployment of the surface-to-air guided missile "Cheongung" (天弓), known as the "Korean-style Patriot," has been completed.
Developed by defense company LIG Nex1, "Cheongung" is the first domestically researched and developed medium-range surface-to-air guided missile designed to replace the medium-range surface-to-air guided missile "Hawk," which had been introduced and operated since the 1960s. The Defense Science Research Institute completed its research and development in 2011, and it has been deployed and operated by the military since 2015.
Cheongung, regarded as a culmination of advanced guided missile technology, consists of a fire control center, multifunction radar, launcher, and guided missiles. The price per missile reaches 1.5 billion KRW. Cheongung has a maximum range of 40 km. It is deployed to intercept enemy aircraft and missiles approaching at altitudes below 40 km. Each launcher carries eight guided missiles, allowing single or rapid successive firing at short intervals from one launcher.
The system operates using a cold launching method, where the missile is pushed into the air from a vertical launcher and then changes direction mid-air to fly toward the desired target.
Cheongung can respond to aerial threats from all 360 degrees. It also applies a "multifunction phased array method," which acquires three-dimensional information on the target's azimuth, distance, and altitude from a single radar to perform detection, identification, tracking, and engagement.
The guided missile of Cheongung uses a target-oriented warhead that concentrates fragments toward the target direction, which is evaluated to have greater destructive power than conventional surface-to-air guided missile warheads that disperse fragments evenly in all directions. Additionally, all menus are localized in Korean, and the system is designed to fit the physique of Koreans, which is highly rated for operator convenience.
A military official explained, "Based on the technology secured during development, we have completed the development of an upgraded ballistic missile defense system and are preparing for its deployment, and we are also developing a long-range high-altitude system."
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