[Exclusive] Military to Conduct Interceptor Missile Test Launch Next Week

The Ministry of National Defense stated that the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system consists of L-SAM, Patriot (PAC)-3, and Medium-range Surface-to-Air Missile (M-SAM), and instead of introducing the U.S. THAAD, a THAAD-class interceptor missile will be developed domestically.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Our military will conduct a test launch next week of a new interceptor missile capable of defending against North Korea's missiles. This move comes as the possibility of North Korean missile provocations increases immediately after the Beijing Olympics in China conclude this week, serving as a 'countermeasure card.'

According to a government official on the 18th, "On the 23rd, at the Anheung Test Site of the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), a test launch of the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LSAM) and the Long-Range Artillery Missile Defense system (LAMD) is scheduled, with high-ranking military officials including Defense Minister Seo Wook in attendance."

Our military is building the Korean Missile Defense (KAMD) system to intercept North Korean missiles. When North Korea launches a missile, interception is carried out in three phases: boost, midcourse, and terminal. The terminal phase is the descent phase; within this phase, the upper layer is intercepted by the high-altitude missile defense system THAAD, while the lower layer is intercepted by Patriot (PAC-3) and Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MSAM). The LSAM, which will be test-launched next week, intercepts in the upper terminal phase at an altitude slightly lower than THAAD.

LAMD is referred to as the 'Korean Iron Dome' project. LAMD is planned to be developed by upgrading the latest domestically produced naval surface-to-air missile, Haegung. Next week's test launch will fire an upgraded version of Haegung to assess the development potential of LAMD. The operating method of Haegung is similar to Israel's Iron Dome defense system, which recently intercepted rocket attacks by the Islamic militant group Hamas in the Middle East. If LAMD development succeeds, it is expected to intercept North Korean rocket artillery falling on the Blue House, Seoul Airport, as well as major facilities and densely populated areas in the metropolitan area and nationwide at low altitudes. This year, the government plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) and proceed to the full development stage.