On November 16 (local time), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced a plan to purchase the South Korean medium range surface-to-air missile Cheongung (M-SAM).

The UAE Ministry of Defence announced on Twitter this day that the country was trying to introduce the South Korean air defense system, M-SAM, for quality improvements to its defense capacity. The UAE defense ministry also mentioned that the scale of the M-SAM contract with South Korea would reach 12.9 billion dirhams (approx. 4.15 trillion won).

Cheongung is an anti-ballistic missile that a South Korean defense contractor developed under the initiative of the Agency of Defense Development to replace the old medium range surface-to-air missile, Hawk.

Gulf Today, a local UAE newspaper, reported, “Tareq Abdul Raheem Al Hosani, CEO of Tawazun Economic Council announced on Twitter plans to introduce the South Korean air defense system, M-SAM.” Gulf Today introduced South Korea’s M-SAM as a state-of-the-art medium range air defense missile system and also the most up-to-date system in the world. The Tawazun Economic Council is an agency equivalent to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

Al Hosani, chief of the council also mentioned that the UAE contract could reach approximately 12.9 billion dirhams. However, he did not state the specific number of missile systems the country would purchase. He mentioned that the council had made considerable progress in negotiations with South Korea and explained that they were near a final agreement. He also said that the two countries agreed to develop a system in line with the operational demands of the Air Defense Force in the UAE Air Force.

Cheongung is comprised of a combat control post, a 3D phased array radar, and a vertical launch pad. The missile has a radar, an inertial navigation system (INS), a seeker, and a receiver in the warhead and the rear end is equipped with a solid rocket engine and control wings.

Cheongung’s maximum range is 40 km. It will be used to intercept enemy aircraft and missiles approaching at altitudes of up to 40 km. Each launcher can be loaded with eight missiles, so soldiers can launch a single missile or multiple missiles in quick succession with short intervals of only seconds from one launch pad. The 3D phased array radar, which combines functions of several radars into one radar, can detect and track dozens of enemy missiles approaching from all directions.

Cheongung can be launched at temperatures of up to 36 degrees Celsius to as low as -30 degrees. It can also be launched when there is strong rainfall or when there are interferences with the electromagnetic wave. Cheongung also has the capacity to precisely intercept a target with high-speed, high-maneuver avoidance maneuvers and can simultaneously engage with multiple targets.