South Korean Missiles on Iranian Attacks: The United Arab Emirates is getting support from South Korea as tensions in the Middle East grow. Reports say South Korea has sent interceptor missiles to the UAE so it can defend itself against Iranian attacks.
The situation became serious after the United States and Israel launched a joint military strike on Iran. Since then Iran has been targeting air bases in the region. These attacks are believed to be aimed at damaging US military assets located in Gulf countries.
Because of these threats the UAE has been strengthening its air defence system. A defence agreement signed in 2022 already allowed the country to buy 10 Cheongung-II medium range surface to air missile batteries from South Korea. These systems are now part of the layered air defence shield that protects the UAE’s skies from incoming threats.
Originally the interceptor missiles were supposed to be delivered slowly in phases until the full system became operational by the end of 2025. But because the conflict in the region is growing the UAE asked South Korea to send missiles much earlier for immediate use.
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South Korea agreed to help. According to a report by Defence Security Asia the country quickly sent 30 interceptor missiles using a C-17 military transport aircraft operated by the South Korean air force.
The missiles that were sent came from South Korea’s own operational stockpile. A report explained the reason behind this quick move. It said, “South Korea chose to prioritise rapid delivery of interceptor missiles from existing stocks rather than expedite delivery of complete batteries, as production was still tied to other export commitments as well as its own domestic defence needs.”
Cheongung-II: Combat Performance
The Cheongung-II missile system has already been used by the UAE during Iranian aerial attacks. According to operational data shared by People Power Party lawmaker Yu Yong-weon the system performed very well in real combat.
“The Cheongung-II deployed in the UAE was identified to have recorded a 96 percent hit rate in actual combat during operations to counter Iran’s massive aerial attack,” the lawmaker said.
During these operations the UAE reportedly launched around 60 interceptor missiles. Usually more than one missile is fired at a single target to make sure it gets destroyed. Because of this the 96% success rate does not mean more than 50 targets were hit. Instead it means the system successfully destroyed about 29 out of around 30 assigned targets.
As Iranian attacks increased the UAE also requested that Cheongung-II batteries be delivered earlier than planned under the defence contract. Reports from the JoongAng Ilbo said the urgent demand happened because the need for stronger air defence had grown quickly.
How the Cheongung-II Missile System Works?
Each Cheongung-II interceptor missile weighs about 400 kilograms. The missile is about 4.61 metres long and its diameter is 275 millimetres. It can travel at speeds close to Mach 4.5 which is more than four times the speed of sound.
The missile is designed to destroy fast moving airborne threats at distances between 40 and 50 kilometres.
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This system does not work alone. It operates together with other air defence systems used by the UAE and the United States in the region. These include the Patriot system and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system also called THAAD. These systems protect important military bases and facilities linked to the US and its allies in the Gulf.
The Cheongung missile system itself was developed in South Korea with the goal of creating a locally made air defence weapon similar to the American Patriot system.
The system was first exported to the UAE through a $3.5 billion defence deal signed in 2021 with LIG Nex1. At present two Cheongung-II batteries are already deployed in the country and eight more are expected to be delivered later.
The missile system is built by several South Korean defence companies. LIG Nex1 produces the main missile system while Hanwha Aerospace is responsible for the fire command vehicle and launch platform. Both companies declined to comment when asked about the recent operations.
