Hit by Chinese Sanctions, South Korean defence giant offers Anti-ship Missile to Manila

Jeoffrey Maitem - : Oct 15, 2025 - : 11:14 pm

Hit by Chinese sanctions, South Korean defense giant Hanwha Group is reportedly eyeing the sale of its upcoming anti-ship ballistic missile system to the Philippines, a country in which Beijing has ongoing territorial disputes.. Report said Hanwha was willing to sell its forthcoming CTM anti-ship ballistic missile...

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Report said Hanwha was willing to sell its forthcoming CTM anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) to the Philippines to meet “growing demand from customers seeking anti-ship capability”.

The CTM-ASBM, where CTM stands for Chunmoo Tactical Missile, will be paired with Hanwha’s K239 Chunmoo mobile multiple rocket launcher system. The launcher is designed for various types of munitions – from short-range ballistic missiles to medium-range rockets.

Derived from the existing CTM series launched from the Chunmoo, the CTM-ASBM will be a 280mm anti-ship ballistic missile variant of the CTM-MR, a mid-range tactical missile. Both ranges are under development and expected to be completed by 2028.

According to Hanwha, the CTM-ASBM can strike from a total of eight pods in the Chunmoo system to a range of 160km (100 miles), and will feature an integrated seeker that can accurately target ships at sea.

Hanwha’s move came after China imposed sanctions on the company, barring the major defense firm from conducting any transactions with Chinese organizations or individuals.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry also accused Hanwha’s U.S. subsidiaries of “assisting and supporting” Washington’s investigations and measures targeting China’s maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.

At the same time, Hanwha’s interest in supplying defense systems for Manila’s military modernization comes as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) places renewed emphasis on long-range precision fires to counter maritime threats. Philippine defense officials have expressed interest in acquiring Mid-Range Capability launchers, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, and Navy-Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems, in addition to India’s BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles.

The Philippine Army is also considering the Chunmoo multiple-launch rocket system as part of its artillery modernization program.

While larger than the U.S.-supplied HIMARS, accordingly the Korean-made Chunmoo offers greater mobility than the Philippine Marine Corps’ BrahMos missiles, which rely on heavy trucks and established road networks for transport across the archipelago.