Saudi Arabia is in talks with South Korea to purchase the
Cheonggung-2 defense system
Saudi and South Korean government officials announced on Monday that they are in the final stages of talks to conclude major defense deals.
Kim Tae-hyo, deputy director of the National Security Office, at a press conference in Riyadh, emphasized the growing importance of the defense industry in the relationship between the two countries, especially discussions on air defense systems and firepower weapons.
Details of these potential defense deals currently remain confidential. A presidential official revealed that it is in the contract drafting stage, stressing that the size and value of the agreements are large.
He also pointed out that security threats near the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia contribute to not disclosing the details of these deals. Disclosing information about weapons systems and their value could affect the ability of other countries to evaluate the quantity of units purchased by Saudi Arabia.
Cheongung-II system
One of the main defense systems being considered is the Cheongong-2 missile defense system, which is designed to intercept air strikes.
“Cheongong-2” is a medium-range surface-to-air defense system (SAM), called the Korean equivalent of the American-made “Patriot” missile defense system, which the UAE has concluded an agreement with Korea to purchase.
It was developed based on the “9M96” missile technology used in the Russian-made “S-350E” and “S-400” missile systems.
One battery consists of four to six 8-cell transport launchers (TELs), a 3D radar, and a passive electronically scanned array (PESA), and can detect targets at a range of 100 km and intercept targets up to an altitude of 15 km at a range of 40 km.
The missiles have anti-electronic warfare capabilities to continue operating, despite the jamming.