News
Completion ceremony held for the assembly and inspection facility of the Surface-to-Air Missile-II
2026.03.05
• Long-standing leadership in guided weapons reaffirmed: Full suite of integrated air defense solutions across land, sea, and air
• Strengthened air defense capabilities and weapon system development expertise secured based on performance history, experience, and know-how accumulated over the years
LIG Nex1 (CEO: Shin Ick-hyun) held a completion ceremony for the assembly and inspection facility of the Surface-to-Air Missile-II.
The Surface-to-Air Missile-II project aims to develop an air defense guided missile for installation on Korea’s next-generation destroyer (KDDX), designed to counter threats from enemy aircraft or cruise missiles and guarantee the survivability of friendly naval vessels.
More than 100 individuals attended the ceremony held at LIG Nex1’s Gumi House on March 4, including LIG Nex1 CEO Shin Ick-hyun, officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff, the ROK Navy, the Agency for Defense Development, the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, the Defense Rapid Acquisition Technology Research Institute, and the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement, as well as representatives from local government institutions, including Gyeongsangbuk-do Government, Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council, Gumi City Government, and Gumi City Council.
The completion ceremony was held approximately two years after LIG Nex1 signed the contract for the development of the Surface-to-Air Missile-II system with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in 2024. With the establishment of an exclusive facility optimized for state-of-the-art weapon system development, the company intends to consolidate R&D capabilities accumulated up to the present and speed up the development and completion of a high-quality K-defense missile to serve as the vanguard of Korean naval vessel defense by 2030.
The project is especially meaningful because it is the first business-led air defense missile system development program in the defense industry. When the project is successfully completed, LIG Nex1 is expected to have further upgraded its missile R&D capabilities based on newly acquired technological expertise as well as more firmly establishing its reputation as a leader in guided missiles. At the same time, the project goal of 90 percent localization is likely to contribute to the promotion of national interests in export and shared prosperity with other companies taking part in the project.
LIG Nex1 CEO Shin said in his welcoming address at the ceremony, “We will do our utmost to contribute to securing next-generation weapon systems, including long-range air-to-surface missiles and short-range air-to-air missiles currently under development as well as long-range air-to-air missiles based on our technological capabilities and infrastructure in all areas of guided missiles across land, sea, and air.”