How the ‘Shelter,’ the Cheongung Shield Recognized by the UAE, Is Made

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] In November last year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defense announced on Twitter a plan to purchase the Cheongung-II system worth approximately 4 trillion won. The ballistic missile interception system is a guided weapon system incorporating cutting-edge technology. Globally, only a few countries, including the United States and Israel, have succeeded in developing such systems. In this context, Korea's large-scale export of Cheongung to the UAE signifies that Korea's advanced weapons system technology has been recognized overseas. On the 27th of last month, we visited KS System, which produces the shelters for Cheongung-II.

To visit KS System located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, we took a narrow two-lane industrial road and upon reaching a corner on a hill, a large-scale factory covering about 20,000 square meters (6,000 pyeong) came into view. The production facility, consisting of six buildings, was large enough to accommodate an aircraft. A company official explained, "The products manufactured here are large in scale, and since parts assembly, painting, and in-house testing are all conducted inside the factory, the facility has to be this large."

Outside the factory, 15 army shelters resembling containers were lined up. Shelters are essential equipment for the military, which frequently relocates during wartime. To operate unmanned aerial vehicles, radars, missiles, and so forth, a command and control center is necessary. The shelter serves to protect this command and control center. It is akin to a protective shield safeguarding the central nervous system in a human body. Since shelters vary in size and interior depending on the equipment mission and the vehicle they are mounted on, there are over 30 different types.

Inside the factory, they were assembling the shelter framework using carbon fiber reinforced plastic (C-FRP). No welding marks were visible at the joints, indicating the high level of precision manufacturing technology.

Park Jong-hwa, Vice President in charge of production, said, "Shelters must have no gaps as small as a needlehole to be safe from electromagnetic interference (EMI)," adding, "This is why shelters remain safe even if submerged in water or exposed to heavy rain." He further explained, "Until 2015, shelters were made of aluminum and were heavy, but the company developed C-FRP technology in-house, reducing the weight by up to 20%."

Moving to the adjacent factory, silicone work inside the shelter was in full swing, revealing the shelter's interior contours. All tasks were done manually to seal even the smallest gaps. Inside the shelter, employees were busy installing internal equipment mounts. Among the equipment was a positive pressure system, which prevents contaminated external air, such as biological weapons or radioactive particles, from entering.

A company official stated, "Developing shelters that accommodate various equipment takes 2 to 3 years of design work," adding, "It is a complex task that requires a thorough understanding of the characteristics and purposes of all equipment."

On one side of the factory, production of shelters identical to the command post shelters for the Cheongung-II missiles to be exported to the UAE was underway. Since the shelters for the UAE must withstand Middle Eastern environmental conditions such as sandstorms, research and design are actively ongoing. When the door is closed inside, external signals are blocked, making mobile phones inoperable.

The inside of the factory was pitch dark. This was the final inspection stage to ensure no light leaks from the shelter during nighttime combat situations. Additionally, completed shelters must pass more than seven tests, including water leakage and structural integrity under impact, before they can be delivered to the military.

A company official said, "We also produce ground support equipment (MGSE) for satellite launch vehicle ground and environmental tests and participate in satellite projects. Based on this technology, we have exported MGSE to the UAE as well," adding, "Our annual sales have been increasing by more than 20%, and this year, exports worth ten million dollars are expected."

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