South Korea to develop air defense system like Israel’s Iron Dome

Seoul, Jun 29 (EFE).- The South Korean government has decided to develop an indigenous air defense system, similar to the Israeli Iron Dome, for intercepting potential long-range artillery launches from North Korea, according to an announcement by the authorities Tuesday.

The project, with a budget of 2.89 trillion won (2.56 billion), is expected to kick off next year and be completed by 2035, according to a document released by the Defense Ministry.

“The project is designed to secure an interceptor system with our own technologies to boost our capabilities of countering enemies’ long-range artillery threats so as to protect core facilities and military and security infrastructure,” said the document.

The project will be similar in concept to the Israeli air defense shield Iron Dome – used to stop Palestinian militia rockets – but will have a higher development cost and more advanced technology, South Korean Army procurement spokesman Suh Yong-won said in a press conference Tuesday.

“The project is designed to secure an interceptor system with our own technologies to boost our capabilities of countering enemies’ long-range artillery threats so as to protect core facilities and military and security infrastructure,” said the spokesperson, according to Yonhap agency.

The South Korean defense ministry believes that Pyongyang maintains around 1,000 artillery pieces deployed along the demarcation separating the two Koreas, including multiple rocket launchers pointing directly to Seoul and its metropolitan area.

North Korea has also made progress in the development of conventional weapons and has exhibited new types of short-range ballistic missiles and rocket launchers during its recent military parades, amid a stagnation in talks with the United States for the denuclearization of the peninsula.

co-ahg/sc