South Korea Declines Ukraine’s Request for Anti-aircraft Weapons

South Korea has declined to provide anti-aircraft weapons as requested by Ukraine, the country’s Defense Minister Suh Wook emphasised during a phone talk with his Ukrainian counterpart, his office said Monday.

In response to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov's request for anti-aircraft weapons in their phone call on Friday, "Suh explained that there are limits in providing lethal weapon systems to Ukraine, given our security situation and its potential impact on our military's readiness posture," Boo Seung-chan, the spokesperson for the defense ministry, told a regular press briefing, Korean media reported.

South Korea has provided Ukraine with non-lethal military supplies worth 1 billion won ($804,100), such as bulletproof helmets and blankets, as well as medical items in March.

Ukraine has been requesting humanitarian and military support, reportedly including rifles, anti-tank missiles and other weapons, from several countries as it struggles to repel Russian invaders.

South Korea has made great strides in anti-air craft systems in recent times. Earlier this year, iit signed a deal with the U.A.E. to sell its Cheolmae II Medium range Surface to air missile defense system that is considered especially effective against aircraft and cruise missiles.

Hanwha Unveils radar prototype of long range range SAM

Hanwha Systems on April 5, 2022 unveiled a prototype radar for the long-range surface-to-air missile (Lr-SAM) interception system under development.

The company previewed  the prototype to Korean Journalists of the multi-function radar (MFR) at its research center in Yongin.

The radar is a key component of the L-SAM system the country seeks to deploy by 2026 as part of its multilayered, low-tier missile defense program. The L-SAM is designed to shoot down incoming missiles at altitudes of around 50-60 kilometers. It compares with the THAAD system that the US has deployed to counter North Korean missiles.