Next Week, Overseas Customers Flock to 'K-Bangsan' Defense Industry

Saudi Arabia, Norway, and Others Witness Live-Fire Demonstration of Cheonggeom and Cheonmu

Cheonggeom is a precision-guided weapon mounted on a Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) to neutralize ground targets such as enemy armored units.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Next week, high-ranking defense officials from seven countries will visit Korea in large numbers. It is unusual for senior multinational military personnel to enter the country all at once. The military plans to showcase live firing demonstrations of the 'Cheongeom air-to-ground missile' and 'Cheonmu multiple launch rocket system' to promote additional exports of K-defense products.

According to military officials on the 9th, a total of 52 people from Saudi Arabia, Norway, Egypt, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Poland, and the Philippines are scheduled to visit Korea on the 15th of this month. The official stated, “They plan to observe live firing of Cheongeom and Cheonmu at the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) Anheung Test Site.” Most of the visitors are high-ranking officials from each country's army and defense ministries responsible for procuring weapons.

The military plans to conduct the first-ever live firing of the Cheongeom air-to-ground missile in front of foreign military personnel to boost K-defense exports. Cheongeom is a precision-guided weapon mounted on the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) designed to neutralize ground targets such as enemy armored units. It is a Korean version of the Hellfire (anti-tank missile) and will begin mass production next year. The industry expects overseas interest as the LAH, the seventh in the world to be developed, will also enter mass production starting this year.

Two Cheonmu multiple launch rockets, which have been exported to Poland and other countries, will also be live-fired. Cheonmu is known to be capable of launching 230mm guided and unguided rockets singly or in salvo, with a maximum range of 80 km. Our military also plans to proceed with the Cheonmu-II performance improvement project, which will extend the range to over 100 km, allowing it to strike targets beyond the current range.

After observing the live firing at the Anheung Test Site, foreign military officials from the seven countries plan to tour domestic defense companies such as LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Aerospace, followed by visits to 'K-defense' production facilities.