South Korea Deploys PATRIOT-Equivalent Cheongung II Missile Defense System

South Korea has deployed the upgraded Cheongung II aircraft and missile defense system said to be an equivalent of the U.S.-made PATRIOT.

Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) describes the Cheongung II (KM-SAM, M-SAM or Cheolmae-2) upgraded system to be Seoul’s first indigenously-developed medium-range surface-to-air guided missile. The system is built based on technology from the 9M96 missile used on S-350E and S-400 missile systems.

It is equipped with multifunction radar to strike aircraft and missiles simultaneously. The modernization project was kick-started in 2021. The system is said to have recorded a 100% accuracy rate at multiple test launches.