On the outskirts of a South Korean industrial metropolis, staff at a sprawling weapons manufacturing facility have been conducting final-stage testing for a newly constructed surface-to-air defence system that would, ultimately, head to Ukraine.
Longstanding home coverage bars Seoul from sending weapons into lively battle zones, however ever since its spy company accused the nuclear-armed North final month of sending hundreds of troopers to assist Moscow battle Kyiv, South Korea has warned it’d change course.
If that’s the case, possible high of the listing for Ukraine can be the “Cheongung”—or Sky Arrow—air defence system, a domestically-produced Iron Dome-style interception defend that AFP noticed Thursday throughout an unique tour of the Hanwha Aerospace manufacturing facility within the southern metropolis of Changwon.
Because the melody of Beethoven’s Fur Elise performed on repeat over the in-house speaker, veteran welders labored on big cylinders that may turn out to be a part of the inceptor system, which is defensive in nature—though Hanwha additionally produces an attack-focused variant.
“The Cheongung system can be thought of as similar to the U.S. Patriot missile system,” mentioned senior supervisor Jung Sung-young at Hanwha Aerospace, South Korea’s largest defence contractor.
Ukraine is reliant on Western air defence techniques, notably Patriots, to guard itself from Russian missile barrages—and has been calling for extra deliveries.
Washington mentioned in June it might prioritise deliveries to Kyiv, forward of different international locations which have positioned orders.
However have been South Korea, which stays technically at warfare with the nuclear-armed North and has maintained manufacturing of weaponry lengthy ignored by Western arms industries, to become involved, it may probably make an enormous distinction, specialists say.
“As a divided nation, we have systematically established and implemented standards at the national level, from the development of these weapon systems to quality control,” mentioned Jung.
“The quality, capability and manufacturing supply chain of our products is sufficiently competitive compared to those of other countries,” he added.
Whether or not—or how—South Korea decides to assist Ukraine immediately relies on “the level of North Korean involvement”, President Yoon Suk Yeol mentioned earlier this month, including Seoul was “not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons.”
If South Korea have been to produce arms, the preliminary batch can be defensive in nature, Yoon mentioned.
Fight prepared
To fend off the regular barrage of missiles which have focused Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure and civilian areas, Kyiv urgently wants extra air defences, Han Kwon-hee of the Korea Affiliation of Defence Trade instructed AFP.
“Counteroffensives require stability in the rear zones, which is why Kyiv has also conducted drone attacks within Russia, including Moscow,” Han defined.
“They will help Ukraine hold off Russia’s offensives by intercepting drones and missiles flying deep into their territory,” he mentioned—an enormous enhance for Kyiv, alongside the latest U.S. transfer to let it use long-range American missiles in opposition to targets inside Russia.
The South has remained combat-ready since its 1950-53 warfare with the North led to a truce, and whereas Hanwha Aerospace, South Korea’s largest defence contractor, was as soon as seen by analysts as retrograde for its concentrate on land weapons, it’s now in excessive demand.
AFP noticed a variety of weaponry shifting alongside meeting traces on the firm’s sprawling Changwon manufacturing facility, from infantry armoured automobiles to surface-to-air missile techniques designed to intercept incoming missiles.
The heightened geopolitical tensions in Europe have closely benefited the South Korean firm, which noticed its on-year working revenue soar over 450 p.c within the newest quarter to $343.3 million.
It has signed main arms offers with international locations comparable to Poland and Romania, together with the export of K9 Howitzers and Chunmoo missile techniques.
Weapons exports
Seoul has lengthy harboured ambitions to hitch the ranks of the world’s high arms exporters—aiming to be the fourth-largest, behind the U.S., Russia and France—one thing that’s now potential, trade analysis signifies.
It has already bought 155mm artillery shells to Washington—however with a “final user” settlement in place that means the USA can be the navy that makes use of the munitions.
Specialists have mentioned this enables the USA to then present their very own shells to Kyiv.
Hanwha’s different weapons supply that would shift the steadiness of warfare in Ukraine is its Chunmoo guided missile system, specialists mentioned.
“With a maximum range of 290 km (180 miles), Chunmoo can strike targets in Pyongyang if launched from the border area in the South,” mentioned Choi Gi-il, professor of navy research at Sangji College.
“What Ukraine urgently needs to turn the war in its favour are offensive weapons like Chunmoo missiles and K9 howitzers, capable of inflicting significant damage on the enemy,” Choi added.
“If North Korea’s direct involvement in the war escalates, [Seoul] may consider sending lethal weapons, in addition to defensive ones.”
