Domestic Production of Close-Range Defense Weapons Nears Completion

[Gumi=Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] If North Korea attacks our naval vessels performing missions at sea with ballistic missiles, defense can be carried out in three stages. Defense is done with ballistic missile interceptors, the ship-based surface-to-air guided missile Haegung, and finally blocked by the Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) Goalkeeper. The CIWS fires 4,200 rounds per minute of machine gun fire to destroy the target. It is the last line of defense.

Our Navy has been using two types of CIWS imported from overseas: the Phalanx from the U.S. company Raytheon and the Goalkeeper from the Dutch company Thales (formerly Signaal). The Goalkeeper began to be installed starting with the first ship of the Korean Destroyer eXperimental (KDX) program, the Gwanggaeto the Great (delivered to the Navy in 1998), and was also installed on the first Aegis destroyer (KDX-III, 7,600-ton class), the Sejong the Great, in 2010. However, recently, as the Goalkeeper has been discontinued, LIG Nex1 is responsible for overhaul maintenance.

When visiting the LIG Nex1 Goalkeeper dedicated overhaul building on the 11th, four Goalkeepers were surrounded by 8-meter-high steel towers. The Goalkeepers were literally stripped down to their frames, with all consumable parts being replaced. The overhauled Goalkeepers were even repainted, making it hard to believe they were previously used weapons.

Our military ultimately decided to develop a ‘Korean-style CIWS’ due to the unreasonable price of the Phalanx and reluctance to transfer technology. LIG Nex1 plans to contribute to the domestic development of the CIWS-II project by fully utilizing the specialized personnel and dedicated maintenance facilities secured through its unique experience in Goalkeeper overhaul maintenance in Korea.

It can automatically destroy high-speed boats infiltrating around the ship. When installed on land, it can also defend key points such as air force runways and military command facilities.

The CIWS-II project is expected to be installed on the Korean next-generation destroyer KDDX and other latest naval vessels. Radar, optical equipment, fire control systems, and other gun components will also be developed domestically, enabling simultaneous development and mass production.

A LIG Nex1 official said, "Overhaul maintenance requires technology as demanding as producing new weapon systems, but based on AESA radar technology, it is fully possible to develop a better CIWS system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.