South Korea has greenlit large‑scale production of the Long-range Surface to Air Missile (L‑SAM) after Hanwha Aerospace signed a 705.4-billion Korean won ($480 million) contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
Under the deal, Hanwha Aerospace is tasked with delivering L‑SAM interceptor missiles and associated launchers to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces by 2030.
The system is designed to function at high altitudes, leveraging a Divert and Control System and dual‑pulse propulsion engine, which were not previously produced domestically.
Once active, L‑SAM will add an upper interception layer to South Korea’s layered air and missile defense architecture, complementing existing lower‑layer systems like the Cheongung II and Patriot.
In addition, a separate 357.3-billion won ($243 million) contract was awarded to Hanwha Systems in October 2025, covering the production of L‑SAM’s Multifunction Radar.
The radar serves as the system’s “eyes,” responsible for detecting and tracking incoming ballistic threats and guiding interceptors to their targets.
Recent L‑SAM Contracts, Upgrades
South Korea’s missile defense efforts go beyond production of the base L‑SAM configuration. Several related projects and upgrades in the past year underline the broad scope of its air defense renewal.
In June 2025, Hanwha Aerospace secured 198.6 billion won ($135 million) from the Agency for Defense Development to develop the next-generation high‑altitude interceptor system L‑SAM II.
This system — scheduled for completion around 2028 — aims to intercept ballistic missiles at altitudes and ranges beyond the original L‑SAM’s envelope, thereby significantly expanding Seoul’s strike‑and‑intercept capability.
Also in 2025, Hanwha Systems was awarded a contract worth 54.7 billion won ($37 million) to develop a next‑generation Multifunction Radar for the L‑SAM II. This radar is expected to provide greatly enhanced detection ranges and multi-target tracking, a critical upgrade for dealing with modern missile threats.
Companies such as Wavice have also landed contracts tied to L‑SAM radar hardware. For example, the firm was awarded a 26.5-billion won ($18 million) agreement to produce high‑power amplifier boards used in the missile’s Multifunction Radar.
