South Korea built the Cheongung-II to stop North Korean missiles. Now the system is stopping Iranian ones – and in doing so, has turned Seoul into one of the most sought-after defence suppliers on the planet.
The medium-range surface-to-air missile system, also known as the KM-SAM Block II, has scored a reported interception rate of 96 per cent against Iranian missiles fired at the United Arab Emirates.
It was a combat debut that rivalled, and in some cases exceeded, the performance of the US Patriot anti-missile system, analysts said.
The difference is price: the Korean system costs roughly one-third as much.
That combination of battlefield credibility and competitive pricing has set off a scramble. When a UAE Air Force C-17 strategic transport touched down at Daegu Airport earlier this month, its hold was being loaded with South Korean interceptor missiles headed back to the Gulf under conditions of some urgency.
The Cheongung-II had passed the only test that truly mattered and Abu Dhabi wanted more.
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