South Korea to develop its own naval interception system as it grows advanced military capabilities

Seoul is planning a ship-based system to detect and destroy short-range aircraft and missiles amid the continuing security threat from the North

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has lost 20kg and isn’t using a body double, said the South’s spy agency

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South Korean navy destroyer, the Munmu The Great, prepares to dock. The country’s new naval interception system will protect warships from hostile aircraft and missiles. Photo: AP

Published: 4:08pm, 29 Oct 2021Updated: 11:00pm, 29 Oct 2021

South Korea will soon start developing a home-grown naval interception system designed to protect warships from hostile aircraft and missiles, the state arms procurement agency said on Friday.

The country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it would launch a project next month to create a ship-based gun system for detecting and destroying short-range incoming enemy aircraft and missiles, in the final stage of the Navy’s multilayered interception programme. It aims to have the project complete by 2027.

This comes as the country boosts its defence spending to grow its advanced military capabilities, with an eye on the continued security threat from North Korea. Meanwhile, Asian countries are also acquiring new defence systems in response to China’s growing military might.

South Korea also has ambitions to be a military powerhouse by developing its own defence equipment and arms.

Last month, South Korea successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile for the first time. After further testing, it will be mass-produced for deployment, local media reported.

South Korea’s defence exports in 2020 are estimated to have reached 1. 7 trillion won (US$1. 43 billion), about the same as the previous year.