South Korea begins deployment of its new Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun System
Asia-Pacific, News December 18, 2021 Comments Off on South Korea begins deployment of its new Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun SystemThe Republic of Korea (RoK) Armed Forces began deploying its new indigenous 30 mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) system produced by Hanwha Defense.
According to DAPA, more than 95 percent of the SPAAG system has been developed by using indigenous technologies.
The SPAAG systems were ordered in June 2020 for KRW250 billion ($211 million). According to Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Hanwha Defense has delivered an initial batch of the systems on 15 December.
The SPAAG system is based on the design of Hyundai Rotem’s K808 8×8 armored vehicle. The system will replace South Korea’s 20 mm M167 Vulcan Air Defense System that has been used by the ROK Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force for more than 40 years.
The new system will replace the M167 Vulcan Air Defense System in stages, which will be completed by the early 2030s. A South Korean military official told Janes that “a total of 300 SPAAGs would be deployed across the RoK Armed Forces.”
The new system is expected to strengthen the ROK’s capability to engage air targets at low altitudes and provide mobile and localized air-defense support for ground soldiers.
According to DAPA, the SPAAG’s weight is about 26.5 tons and it can travel up to 90 km/h. The System features an electro-optical/infrared system enabling automatic day/night target tracking.
It has a firing range of 3 km, which is 1.2 km farther than the previous M167 system. It is also equipped with a pair of podded 30 mm autocannons on the turret, which is capable of firing 600 rounds per minute.
Besides Hanwha Defense, several South Korean small defense firms participated in the development of the SPAAG program.
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