KM-SAM Cheongung (Cheolmae-II Block I)
Type: Long-Range Air Defense System
Domain: land
Country of Origin: South Korea
Manufacturer: LIG Nex1
Overview
Korea Medium-range Surface-to-Air Missile — the baseline variant of South Korea's first indigenous medium-range air defence system, developed with significant technology transfer from Russia's Almaz-Antey (S-400 technology heritage) and France's Thales. Features a single-pulse solid rocket motor with range of approximately 40 km and altitude of 15 km. The missile uses inertial mid-course guidance with command updates, transitioning to active radar homing for terminal engagement. The Samsung Thales multifunction radar provides search, tracking, and fire control functions. Each battery consists of a radar vehicle, engagement control station, and multiple Transporter Erector Launchers (TELs). Operational since 2015 and deployed to protect key military and civilian installations. The system demonstrated Korea's ability to develop complex integrated air defence systems, paving the way for Cheongung II and L-SAM.
Technical Specifications
| note | Also marketed as M-SAM; deployed in Korea from 2011 |
|---|---|
| radar | AESA engagement and surveillance |
| guidance | Active radar homing (Korean AESA seeker) |
| missiles | Cheongung Block I x 8 per launcher |
| max_range_km | 40 |
| max_altitude_m | 15000 |
| simultaneous_targets | 4 |
Operators
- South Korea
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