Page 26 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2023 Online Magazine

FUTURE FOCUSED

South Korean defence firm LIG Nex1, which has seen a surge in demand
for its missile systems, is working on a range of new capabilities

By ARUN SIVASANKARAN

For South Korean missile defence systems provider between the two companies, which is focused on satel-
LIG Nex1, ADEX 2023 was a Show for the ages. lite services, aeronautics and advanced air defence, will
see LIG Nex1 playing a key role in the country’s evolving
The initial headlines were cornered by KF-21 Boramae, space programs. Also at the Show, LIG Nex1 announced
Korea Aerospace Industries’ indigenously developed it was joining forces with Germany’s Diehl Defence for the
fighter that made its public debut by taking part in a flying local manufacture and maintenance of the IRIS-T missile.
display during the recently concluded Show, but LIG Nex1 The agreement assumes significance in the light of the
had two major deals in the bag before the end of the first fact that the system is compatible with KAI’s indigenous
day, one of them involving a defence firm in Indonesia, a KF-21 Boramae supersonic fighter jet. Yet another success
country that accounts for 55% of South Korea’s defence came the Korean defence powerhouse’s way as it signed
exports to Southeast Asia over the past two decades. a memorandum of understanding with Northrop Grumman
in the fields of avionics, electronic warfare techniques and
LIG Nex1’s strategic partnership with involves cooperation enhanced surveillance applications.
in producing and transferring technology for various types
of missiles, including the South Korean-made Raybolt The new partnerships enhance LIG Nex1’s global footprint
short Anti-Tank Guided Munition Systems project that aims
to enhance missile capabilities against armored threats. and consolidate its reputation as a trusted partner for
Also on the opening day, LIG Nex1 and German-Swedish many major defence contractors such as Raytheon. The
missile maker Taurus Systems joined hands to co-develop two companies have signed an MOU to identify areas of
an upgraded Taurus KEPD 350K-2 air-to-ground cruise collaboration in the development of Electronic Warfare
missile. The initiative, which will produce a missile designed systems.
for launch from the air to strike terrestrial targets, is aimed
primarily at the FA-50 light fighter’s export market. Among the company’s range of products and technologi-
cal innovations at the Show were the Korean Air Launched
On the second day of the Show, the Soth Korean com- Cruise Missile (KALCM), the jamming-resistant Korean GPS
pany signed an agreement with Airbus Defence & Space Guided Bomb, the FA-50 radar system, and Low attitude
for cooperation in the field of space. The partnership missile defence (LAMD).
26 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2023 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/ADT