South Korea has decided to dispatch additional Cheongung-II interceptor missiles to the United Arab Emirates following an urgent request from the Gulf nation, which has been facing repeated missile and drone attacks from Iran. According to reports, more than 30 interceptor missiles will be transported aboard a C-17 military cargo aircraft. The Cheongung-II system forms part of the UAE’s layered air defense structure along with the US-built Patriot system. The UAE had earlier requested that South Korea speed up the delivery of eight remaining Cheongung-II systems under a $3.5-billion contract signed in 2022 with defense companies LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Systems. However, Seoul was unable to meet the accelerated timeline due to prior export agreements with other countries. The system recently saw its first real combat deployment in the UAE and reportedly achieved a very high interception rate of over 96 percent during Iranian attacks. During the first three days of the conflict, the UAE’s air defense network reportedly neutralized hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles. The Cheongung-II is designed as a medium-range missile defense platform capable of intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles. Each battery consists of launch vehicles, radar units, and a fire-control system. The interceptor uses a hit-to-kill method to destroy threats and can intercept ballistic missiles at high altitudes while engaging aircraft targets at distances up to 50 kilometers.
