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 struggle Kyiv, South Korea has warned it’d change course.
In that case, possible high of the checklist 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 enormous cylinders that can change into a part of the inceptor system, which is defensive in nature—though Hanwha additionally produces an attack-focused variant.
“The Cheongung system might be regarded as just like 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 programs, notably Patriots, to guard itself from Russian missile barrages—and has been calling for extra deliveries.
Washington mentioned in June it could prioritise deliveries to Kyiv, forward of different nations which have positioned orders.
However have been South Korea, which stays technically at conflict with the nuclear-armed North and has maintained manufacturing of weaponry lengthy ignored by Western arms industries, to get entangled, it might probably make an enormous distinction, consultants say.
“As a divided nation, we’ve systematically established and applied requirements on the nationwide stage, from the event of those weapon programs to high quality management,” mentioned Jung.
“The standard, functionality and manufacturing provide chain of our merchandise is sufficiently aggressive in comparison with these of different nations,” he added.
Whether or not—or how—South Korea decides to assist Ukraine immediately is determined by “the extent of North Korean involvement”, President Yoon Suk Yeol mentioned earlier this month, including Seoul was “not ruling out the potential for offering weapons.”
If South Korea have been to provide 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 within the rear zones, which is why Kyiv has additionally performed drone assaults inside Russia, together with Moscow,” Han defined.
“They are going to assist Ukraine maintain off Russia’s offensives by intercepting drones and missiles flying deep into their territory,” he mentioned—an enormous increase for Kyiv, alongside the current U.S. transfer to let it use long-range American missiles towards targets inside Russia.
The South has remained combat-ready since its 1950-53 conflict 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 autos to surface-to-air missile programs 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 % within the newest quarter to $343.3 million.
It has signed main arms offers with nations corresponding to Poland and Romania, together with the export of K9 Howitzers and Chunmoo missile programs.
Weapons exports
Seoul has lengthy harboured ambitions to affix 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 “last consumer” settlement in place which means america can be the army that makes use of the munitions.
Consultants have mentioned this enables america to then present their very own shells to Kyiv.
Hanwha’s different weapons supply that would shift the stability of conflict in Ukraine is its Chunmoo guided missile system, consultants mentioned.
“With a most vary of 290 km (180 miles), Chunmoo can strike targets in Pyongyang if launched from the border space within the South,” mentioned Choi Gi-il, professor of army research at Sangji College.
“What Ukraine urgently wants to show the conflict in its favour are offensive weapons like Chunmoo missiles and K9 howitzers, able to inflicting vital injury on the enemy,” Choi added.
“If North Korea’s direct involvement within the conflict escalates, [Seoul] could contemplate sending deadly weapons, along with defensive ones.”
