News

LIG D&A participates in Sea-Air-Space 2026 in the United States 2026.04.22

#Sea-Air-Space2026 #United States

Poniard spearheading LIG D&A's push into the U.S. market, with its proven 100% accuracy
Comprehensive naval solutions to be showcased, from guided rockets to one-way attack USVs

LIG Defense & Aerospace (LIG D&A) is set to penetrate the United States defense market—the largest in the world—leveraging its 2.75-inch Poniard guided rocket system, Close-In Weapon System II (CIWS-II), and explosive-laden one-way attack uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).

LIG D&A has announced its participation in Sea-Air-Space 2026 (SAS 2026) taking place in Maryland, United States, from April 20 to 22 (local time). SAS 2026 is the largest maritime defense exposition in the US, and LIG D&A plans to use this premier event as a strategic launchpad to deploy full-scale marketing campaigns aimed at securing entry into the US defense market—the world’s largest.

Poniard sets its sights on the U.S. market with a 100% hit rate

To maximize synergies across its maritime defense solutions, LIG D&A has set up a joint exhibition booth with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The company placed its 2.75-inch Poniard guided rocket system, the spearhead of its market push, at the forefront of the booth. Poniard demonstrated its exceptional performance during the final live-fire testing, conducted near the waters off Hawaii in July 2024, as part of the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program, with six rockets fired and all six hitting their targets.

Notably, Poniard achieved a 100% hit rate throughout the five-year FCT program that began in 2019, raising its prospects for entry into the U.S. market. This is the first successful demonstration of a future uncrewed operational concept jointly developed by the ROK and the U.S. Navies.

Expanding its maritime defense portfolio with USVs and CIWS-II

In addition to Poniard, the exhibition showcases the 130mm Biryong ship-to-ship guided rocket, the CIWS-II close-in weapon system designed as a warship’s last line of defense, and one-way attack uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) that have recently drawn attention as asymmetric capabilities in modern warfare. Through these exhibits, LIG D&A intends to demonstrate to the global market its capabilities as a “comprehensive defense solutions provider” that extends beyond individual weapon systems to encompass a broad range of operational concepts.

US subsidiary established to accelerate local supply chain development

To establish a strategic foothold for market entry, LIG D&A founded its U.S. subsidiary, LIG Defense U.S. Inc., earlier this year. The subsidiary serves as a hub for strengthening local partnerships and facilitating technology exchange. Looking ahead, it is expected to act as a “base camp” for building a robust supply chain within the U.S. through the establishment of local production and sales operations.

“Building on our guided missile expertise already proven through M-SAM II, we will accelerate our entry into the U.S. market,” said an LIG D&A official. “As a trusted partner of the United States, we will do our utmost to contribute to the ROK–U.S. alliance and become a key player in the global expansion of ‘K-Defense’ exports.”

List