LIG Nex1 Participates in ‘SEOUL ADEX 2023’

Long-Range Air-Launched Guided Missiles and Other Airborne Weapons, FA-50 AESA Radar Displayed

Showcasing Accumulated Expertise of Guided Weapons at the Globally Renowned ADEX

Supporting Defense Innovation 4.0, Introducing the Global Market Partner ‘A1 Society’

LIG Nex1 (CEO Kim Ji-chan) participated in the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX 2023), which opens on the 17th.

ADEX started in 1996 as the 'Seoul Air Show' and expanded in 2009 to include the ground defense sector, becoming a large-scale biennial exhibition.

This year, ADEX features the largest scale ever, with 550 companies from 35 countries participating and over 2,200 booths set up. LIG Nex1 plans to showcase its latest technologies and accumulated experience under the slogan "Smarter Together," including ▲airborne weapon systems and radars or domestically produced fighter aircraft systems ▲air defense systems ▲space satellite sector ▲drone and counter-drone integrated systems ▲and future advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies.

In the fields of airborne weapon systems, radars, and domestic fighter aircraft systems, LIG Nex1 is exhibiting the long-range air-to-ground guided missile (KALCM) and KGGB (Korean GPS Guided Bomb), as well as the FA-50 AESA radar.

The long-range air-to-ground guided missile, developed domestically under the leadership of the Agency for Defense Development, is the first long-range cruise missile mounted on the KF-21. It is known as the "claw of the Boramae" and serves as a core weapon of the KF-21, capable of precision strikes on key targets hundreds of kilometers away. The localization of this long-range precision strike system against strategic targets is expected to significantly contribute to strengthening South Korea's defense capabilities in the future.

KGGB was developed by LIG Nex1 under the leadership of the Agency for Defense Development. It is a smart bomb weapon system that can be mounted and operated on domestically operated aircraft such as the FA-50. By attaching a "mid-range GPS guidance kit" to conventional bombs, it enables long-range attacks and all-weather precision strikes day and night, as well as GPS jamming resistance. It has been operational since 2012 and is evaluated to have high operational reliability.

The AESA radar, which will greatly enhance the engagement performance of domestic fighter jets, is also a critical airborne equipment. Since 2006, the South Korean military and government have promoted the localization of AESA radar for fighter jets. LIG Nex1 participated as a prototype developer and, under the supervision of the Agency for Defense Development, has developed the FA-50 AESA radar prototype through about 15 years of research and development.

Successful development of the domestic AESA radar is expected to secure differentiated competitiveness in the global market when exporting fighter jets in the future.

Precision guided weapons responsible for multi-layered air defense will also be showcased. These include the "Cheongung II," a medium-range, medium-altitude surface-to-air interception system responding to various aerial threats such as aircraft and ballistic missiles; the "Shingung," a portable surface-to-air guided weapon for low-altitude aerial threats; and the "Long-range artillery interception system," a weapon system that protects key national and military facilities and personnel from enemy long-range artillery threats.

LIG Nex1 is involved in the development and mass production of numerous air defense guided weapon systems ranging from Shingung to the long-range artillery interception system, medium-range surface-to-air guided weapon Cheongung II, and long-range surface-to-air missiles. This contributes to the establishment of the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system from short to long range.

Advanced satellite solutions to prepare for the upcoming space era will also be introduced. The goal is to secure reconnaissance, communication, navigation, electronic warfare satellites, and core satellite technologies.

Representative projects include the microsatellite system, multipurpose practical satellite No. 6 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) payload, and geostationary public multi-purpose communication satellites. The microsatellite system, developed under the leadership of the Agency for Defense Development, is expected to complement existing military reconnaissance satellites and enhance national security response capabilities on the Korean Peninsula and surrounding waters. Additionally, LIG Nex1 is pursuing the payload sector business for KPS (Korean Positioning System), a domestically independent satellite navigation system, aiming to secure differentiated capabilities.

The exhibition also includes drones and counter-drone integrated systems, whose necessity and importance have recently been proven. The "40kg-class transport multicopter drone system" is being developed as part of a dual-use technology development project jointly invested by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, led by the Agency for Defense Development's Civil-Military Cooperation Promotion Institute.

This system applies a hybrid engine system that combines an internal combustion engine with a battery, enabling flights of over 60 minutes. It can deliver relief supplies to isolated areas during disasters or resupply military supplies to dispersed units during wartime.

The rapidly changing battlefield environment demands modularization of drone-mounted mission equipment and high payload performance to support it. LIG Nex1's portfolio includes the "200kg-class hydrogen fuel transport drone (KCD-200)" to meet these requirements. The KCD-200, powered by batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, is being developed through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's national R&D project titled "Development of a 200kg-class cargo drone technology based on VTOL with hydrogen fuel cells capable of autonomous and remote-controlled flight."

This large drone features a fixed-wing and multirotor hybrid design with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, can carry over 200kg of cargo, and fly over a radius of 50km at speeds exceeding 100km/h for more than one hour. Currently, flight performance is being verified with a scaled model, and flight tests are planned to be completed by 2025, aiming to enter the domestic transport drone market.

The counter-drone integrated system plays a role in protecting national critical facilities and friendly forces by detecting, identifying, and neutralizing unidentified drones. It consists of detection sensors and neutralization equipment. After detecting enemy drones with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, it tracks them with electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) cameras and suppresses them using jammers. The integrated operation system has been verified through over 500 outdoor tests.

A dedicated space for export flagship products has been set up to actively target overseas markets. The medium-range guided weapon for infantry, "Hyeongung," and a Hyeongung simulator that allows launch experience are open to visitors. Also exhibited are the 2.75-inch guided rocket "Bigung," a coastal defense guided weapon system selected for the U.S. FCT (Foreign Comparative Testing) program, and the "130mm guided rocket-II," an improved version of the ship-to-ship guided missile Biryu, which secures precision strike capabilities against ships and ground targets.

Additionally, a separate space introducing the "A1 Society," a partner for entering the global market, has been prepared. This follows LIG Nex1 being the first in the defense industry to be selected for the "Large Corporation-Small and Medium Enterprise Joint Entry Support Project." The A1 Society is a council of partner companies that will grow together with LIG based on excellent capabilities, consisting of nine companies including Green Optical, Micro Infinity, and Talos. This is the first time the A1 Society booth is set up alongside the AI Society booth.

Kim Ji-chan, CEO of LIG Nex1, stated, "As international interest in K-defense is high, the excitement of 'ADEX 2023' is intense. Taking ADEX, which has become a global event, as an opportunity, LIG Nex1, leading the journey toward becoming one of the top four defense powers, will showcase various cutting-edge guided weapons, radars, satellite systems, electronic warfare, and drone systems to demonstrate the true value of a guided weapon specialist and promote the robust industrial ecosystem of K-defense represented by the A1 Society to the world."

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