South Korea to Move Forward with Development of Iron Dome Like System to Protect Seoul
This is a much needed system to protect the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Area from North Korea’s long range artillery:
South Korea will begin developing its own interceptor system like Israel’s Iron Dome in the next five years to defend the country’s core infrastructure in the capital area against North Korea’s long-range artillery threats, the defense ministry said Monday.
Unveiling its defense blueprint for 2021-2025, the ministry also said it will officially begin procedures to acquire a light aircraft carrier next year and start the production of a homegrown fighter jet which is currently under development.
The defense program calls for spending 300.7 trillion won (US$253 billion), a 6.1 percent on-year hike on average over the next five years. Of the total, 100 trillion won was allocated for improving defense capabilities, while the remaining 200 trillion won was set for force management.
“When we talk about South Korea’s missile defense system, it usually refers to one targeting North Korea’s Scud-type or stronger missiles, whereas this new interceptor system will focus on protecting the capital area against the North’s long-range artillery such as its 240-mm or 300-mm multiple rocket launchers,” a ministry official said.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link, but this domestically produced system will not be available until the late 2020’s or into the 2030’s. It seems with a vulnerability as bad as this one the ROK should just purchase the Iron Dome system from Israel.
One wonders if the Korean “Military Industrial Complex” isn’t precisely behind all this?
They could have an effective Iron Dome this month without a lot of fuss and probably at a huge discount over an untested home-grown system. But that would not give Kim Fatty ten-plus years to whine and complain about it.
And blackmail the people of Seoul.
And Seoul, like the UK, France, Japan, Russia, China, and India have already, will quickly discover that owning a single aircraft carrier is far different from having an effective carrier striking force.
C’est la vie.
Korean homegrown ensures 50000 won filled apple boxes stay at home.
And where in the article say this home grown missile defense system won’t be ready by 2030?? Speculation much? It’s going to be ready in less than 5 years, and it won’t cost $5 billion nor any amount of US blackmails.
The subject of whether the Iron Dome should be bought off the shelf from Israel or developed in Korea has been the subject of much debate. As a matter of fact when Israel was in the market for advanced training aircraft, a swap deal in which Israel will buy the T-50 in exchange for Korea buying Israeli weapons such as the Iron Dome was put on the table. But Korea being Korea balked at the offer and the Israelis bought the Italian M-346 instead with the Italians buying Israeli made AEW aircraft in exchange.
Despite the money that Korea spends on its defense, it is still weak in many fields such as ballistic missile defense, defense against North Korean artillery, and anti-sub warfare.
The Korean government has been too busy propping up the local defense industries while its military’s been busy chasing show off weapons, that they have neglected the basic equipment needed to properly defend this country.
This is also one of the reasons why no one in the Korean government will dare tell the USFK to pull out.
Too bad they don’t have a system to protect the citizens from the South Korean communist..
Fatty is gonna love his Korea Dome system in the Confederacy.