[Exclusive] Middle Eastern Countries Anxious Over Iran Conflict Send 'SOS' to South Korea: "Send Cheongung-II"

Cheongung Importers Demand Additional Interceptors and Early Delivery
Middle Eastern Countries with Weak Defense Systems Inquire About New Orders

It has been confirmed that Middle Eastern countries have requested the South Korean government for an urgent supply of the domestically produced Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) interceptor system. This is due to a shortage of interception systems to protect their own countries, even as Iran has begun its counterattacks.

Indigenously developed Cheongung-2 interceptor missile designed for intercepting North Korean ballistic missiles. It can intercept North Korean missiles at altitudes up to 15 km.

On March 5, a senior government official stated, "The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, which have signed contracts to import the Cheongung-II, are requesting emergency procurement for their contracted items, while countries such as Qatar are requesting early delivery as part of new contracts, and discussions are ongoing."

The UAE decided to introduce 10 Cheongung-II batteries in January 2022. At the time of the contract, the UAE requested rapid delivery, so one battery that had already been deployed with the South Korean Air Force was handed over just three months after the agreement. Subsequently, with one additional battery delivered this year, a total of two batteries have now been deployed in service. In response to the recent Iranian attack, the UAE has used numerous interceptor missiles and is now demanding not only additional interceptor missiles but also early delivery of the remaining eight contracted batteries.

The UAE's air defense system consists of three countries' medium-range interceptor systems: the US-made Patriot, the Israeli-made Arrow, and the Korean-made Cheongung-II. According to the UAE Ministry of Defense, it detected 534 Iranian ballistic missiles and intercepted 494 of them, with the Cheongung-II reportedly playing a significant role.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq, which have not yet deployed the Cheongung-II, are also in urgent need. Iran is preparing "Fattah" series hypersonic missiles, as well as the "Shahab-3" and "Khorramshahr" medium-range missiles. Saudi Arabia and Iraq, which signed contracts in 2022 and 2024 respectively, are emphasizing that the UAE was able to deploy the Cheongung-II by receiving batteries from the South Korean Air Force, and are requesting emergency procurement. Currently, the South Korean military has deployed around 20 Cheongung-II batteries.

The issue lies in the production capacity of domestic defense industry companies. Although these companies have significantly expanded their production lines following the Iraq contract, they state that producing additional units beyond the set output is not feasible. Previously, defense companies produced only four batteries per year, but following the Iraq contract, the production line was expanded to eight batteries annually.

A government official stated, "It is not possible to immediately increase production volume, so we are considering the quantities currently deployed or scheduled to be deployed with the South Korean Air Force," adding, "Even if early delivery is decided, it will still take time when considering transportation and other factors."

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