Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 6, 2026

L-SAM

The L-SAM is a South Korean long range surface-to-air and anti-ballistic missile system developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), Hanwha, and LIG Nex1. The performance levels are comparable to the American THAAD and the Israeli Arrow 2 and Arrow 3. L-SAM serves as a key system in South Korea's Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD).

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Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile
장거리 지대공 미사일
A ballistic missile intercept testing of L-SAM conducted on 20 June 2023.
TypeLong-range, mobile surface-to-air missile/anti-ballistic missile system
Place of originSouth Korea
Service history
In service2028 (planned)12
Used byRepublic of Korea Air Force
Production history
Designer
Designed
  • Block 1: 2019–2024125
  • Block 2: 2025–2028 (planned)6
Manufacturer
  • Hanwha Aerospace4
  • LIG Defense & Aerospace
Produced2025 (planned)12
Specifications
LengthAnti-ballistic missile: 7 meters (23 ft)6
EngineDual-pulsed rocket motor7
Operational
range
  • Block 1: 150 km (93 mi)5
  • Block 2 HAI: 450 km (280 mi)87
Flight ceiling
  • Block 1: 60 km (37 mi)910
  • Block 2 HAI: 180 km (110 mi)87
Maximum speedMach 9 (3,100 m/s; 11,000 km/h)11
Guidance
system
Imaging infra-red seeker7

The L-SAM (Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile; Korean: 장거리 지대공 미사일; Hanja: 長距離地對空미사일; RR: Janggeori Jidaegong Misail) is a South Korean long range surface-to-air and anti-ballistic missile system developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), Hanwha, and LIG Nex1.3 The performance levels are comparable to the American THAAD and the Israeli Arrow 2 and Arrow 3. L-SAM serves as a key system in South Korea's Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD).12

The development of L-SAM Block 1 was officially completed in May 2024 and was declared fit for combat by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).12

Development and design

The L-SAM was developed with the aim of shooting down ballistic missiles such as North Korea's Hwasong-11A (KN-23) and Hwasong-11B (KN-24) in the terminal phase.10 It will be an upper-tier surface-to-air missile system for multi-layered defense as part of Republic of Korea Air Force's Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) project, which has been planned since the early 2020s, with the lower tier composed of Patriot PAC-3 and KM-SAM batteries.313

The L-SAM system is expected to use two types of interceptors: one for anti-air meant to target general air breathing threats such as aircraft or cruise missiles and the other for anti-ballistic. The anti-ballistic missile (ABM) consists of total of a three stages and uses a hit-to-kill system that intercepts targets with a kill vehicle that integrates an imaging infra-red (IIR) seeker and a divert attitude control system (DACS), and can intercept missiles approaching at an altitude of 50–60 kilometers (160,000–200,000 ft).6910 L-SAM demonstrated its intercept capability by succeeding three out of a total of four missile interception tests between November 2022 and June 2023.14

The development of L-SAM Block 1 was completed in May 2024, and initial mass production will begin in 2025 and will be deployed to the Republic of Korea Air Force from 2028.12

Operational Concept

A scale model of L-SAM's anti-aircraft missile (AAM) source ↗
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1
Low Altitude Missile Defense (LAMD) anti-artillery interceptor
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M-SAM Block 2 medium-range lower tier air defense system
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M-SAM Block 3 boost phase interceptor (BPI)
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PAC-2 and PAC-3 complementary air defense system
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L-SAM Block 2 glide phase interceptor (GPI)
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L-SAM Block 1 long-range multi-layered air defense system
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L-SAM Block 2 high altitude interceptor (HAI)

Battery configuration

The L-SAM battery is composed of a multifunction radar, a command-and-control (C2) center, a combat control station, and four truck-mounted launchers, two of each missile type.510 It will use a trailer-mounted S-band AESA radar.1516

Improvements

Block 2

On 25 April 2023, the 153rd Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee deliberated and approved on a plan to develop a new missile defense system with a higher intercepting altitude than the existing L-SAM with a budget of 2.71 trillion won by 2027. The new missile system, named L-SAM 2, includes high-altitude interceptor (HAI) missiles and glide phase interceptor (GPI) missiles, and is estimated to have an interception altitude of 180 km.8

See also

See also

Comparable systems


South Korean Surface-to-Air systems

References

References

  1. Jeon Sin (25 May 2024). "'한국형 사드' L-SAM 개발 완료…北미사일 더 빨리 요격". Newsis. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  2. Yang Min-chul (25 May 2024). "북한 미사일 더 빠르게 요격…'한국형 사드' L-SAM 개발 완료". Korean Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  3. "L-SAM". Agency for Defense Development. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  4. "Hanwha Corporation - Hanwha". Hanwha.com. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  5. "South Korea tests indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile". Janes Information Services. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022.
  6. "원하는 거리에 정확하게 L-SAM-Ⅱ & 함대공미사일 & 해궁". Defense Acquisition Program Administration. July 2025. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  7. Baek Jin-uk (27 February 2026). "보이지 않는 전장의 최상층, L-SAM". Defense Agency for Technology and Quality. Archived from the original on 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  8. "제153회 방위사업추진위원회 결과". Defense Acquisition Program Administration. 25 April 2023. Archived from the original on 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  9. "K-방산은 순항 중". Defense Acquisition Program Administration. July 2024. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  10. Kim Yong-jun (1 June 2023). "'한국형 사드' L-SAM 요격 순간 첫 공개…"복합 다층방어체계 속도"". Korean Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  11. Kwon Gu-chan (1 June 2023). "200㎞ 밖 미사일 수분만에 요격…美·이스라엘 이어 세번째 개발". Sedaily. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  12. Joon Ha Park (14 January 2025). "South Korea unveils plans for new missile defense system to counter North Korea". NK NEWS.
  13. Joshua Pollack (2 January 2017). "Ballistic Missile Defense in South Korea: Separate Systems Against a Common Threat" (PDF). Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  14. "국가안보의 보루, 한국형 미사일방어체계 핵심전력 개발 순항 중". Defense Acquisition Program Administration. 29 December 2023. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  15. Pike, John. "L-SAM Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  16. "Hanwha Techwin Shows S-Band AESA For L-SAM BMD". Aviationweek.com. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
External links