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tection to its tiered air defense system with the plan to acquire a While the KM-SAM missile “only” has a max-
long-range SAM system.
interception altitude of 20 km, South Korea has
This plan calls for a networked ground-launched air defence mis- also started the development of the new L-SAM
sile system with an effective range of at least 100 km. It also put missile with an increased range to around
forward a requirement for the system to be able to detect and 150 km, and a maximum altitude of 60 km. In
destroy threats ranging from UAVs to ballistic missiles in their ter- February 2022, the first firing test of the new
minal phase. The system will also have to be easily transportable, missile was conducted with a satisfactory result.
quick to set up and offer ease of maintenance. Based on these Also known as Cheolmae-2 or Cheongung in
requirements, there are at least three systems that have caught South Korea, each KM-SAM system consists
the interest of the decision-makers in the Indonesian Air Force of between four to six TELs each with eight
and the Indonesian Defence Ministry: ASTER 30 SAMP/T from the launchers, a 3D phased array radar module, a
European multinational company Eurosam, KM-SAM from South command module called Engagement Control
imum range of about 40 km with a maximum [ MISSILE SYSTEMS ]
Korea, and HİSAR-U/SİPER from Turkey. Center (ECS), and a mobile power generator.
Each module is mounted on a KIA KM-1500 8x8
truck ensuring high mobility and quick rede-
Competent Contenders ployment ability. In January 2022, the United
Developed in the late 1980s and started to enter service in 2001 as Arab Emirates finalized a USD3.37 billion con-
a naval air defense system onboard the French nuclear-powered tract to acquire the KM-SAM from South Korea
aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, the Aster system is a two-stage to be the first foreign user of the system.
missile with two kinds of first-stage boosters to fit two different
purposes. The “short-booster” equipped Aster 15 is a short to
medium-range missile with a maximum range of over 30 km. The HİSAR-U/SİPER
“long booster” Aster 30 is the long-range version with a maximum Two Turkish defence companies Roketsan and
range of over 120 km. In 2011, the ground-based mobile version Aselsan started the joint development of the
of the Aster 30 missile system called SAMP/T (Sol-Air Moyenne HİSAR (fortress) ground-launched air defense
Portée/Terrestre or Surface-to-Air Missile Platform/Terrain) was missile family in 2007. This missile family con-
first deployed operationally by the French Air Force and French sisted of the 15 km range HİSAR-A/A+, 25 km
Army followed by the Italian Army in 2012. range HİSAR-O/O+, 70-100 km range HİSAR-U,
and 150 km range SİPER (trench) versions, of
Also known as “MAMBA” by the French, a complete SAMP/T which the latter two are still in their develop-
battery consists of an ARABEL target detection and fire control ment phase. After the first firing test of the
radar module, a command post/engagement module, up to six HİSAR-O missile in 2016 followed by the first
Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL) each with eight launch tubes, firing test of the HİSAR-A version in 2018,
a power generator, a maintenance and repair module, and a missile both missile systems began to be deployed by
reloader. Each of these SAMP/T modules is mounted on a Renault the Turkish armed forces in 2021. They have
Kerrax 8x8 truck for the French version or an IVECO Astra 8x8 been upgraded to A+ and O+ versions with an
truck for the Italian version. Due to this, the SAMP/T air defense increased maximum interception altitude and
system can be deployed and redeployed quickly up to several times performance.
a day each in a different location.
Outside French and Italian navies, the Aster missile family has been Turkey is planning to test the HİSAR-U and
exported to equip warships from eight other countries including SİPER versions this year with planned deploy-
Singapore which also has acquired the SAMP/T system for its air ment in 2023. While each HİSAR-A/A+ system
force. is usually mounted on a Turkish-made ACV-300
armored vehicle with two vertical launchers
on each side of the vehicle and an onboard
KM-SAM detection and tracking radar, the HİSAR-O/O+
In the aftermath of North Korea’s test launch of its Taepodong-I system utilizes a Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6x6
ballistic missile in 1998, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense military truck chassis for each of its modules,
initiated a program to develop a new air defense and anti-ballistic which is also probably similar to HİSAR-U and
missile system called “M-SAM” (also known as KM-SAM). This new SİPER systems’ configuration.
system is also intended to replace the US-made MIM-23 HAWK
SAM system which has no ballistic missile interception ability and A complete HİSAR-O/O+ battery comprises
has served in South Korea’s Air Force since 1983. During its devel- three TELs each with six launchers, one
opment course, South Korea has signed a technology transfer KALKAN phased array 3D radar vehicle, one
agreement with Russia to use the latter’s S-300, S-350, and S-400 electro-optical sensor vehicle, a tactical data
missile systems as the basis of the KM-SAM’s development. The link connection vehicle, a command and fire
result of this agreement was revealed in 2011 followed by a full control vehicle, as well as a power generator
production phase in 2015 and the first active deployment in 2016. vehicle.
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY May/June 2022 | 21