SM-3 verifies combat capabilities by intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles
North Korean missiles can be intercepted as soon as they reach their peak and begin to descend.
Addition of M-SAM, Patriot, L-SAM, and THAAD to form a ‘dense’ multi-layered defense network
North Korea faces a confrontation… “Weapons that are completely unsuitable for the battlefield environment on the Korean Peninsula” were also pointed out.
DAPA: North Korean nuclear weapons need to be intercepted from high altitudes
Military authorities have decided to introduce the SM-3, a missile mounted on Navy Aegis ships that intercepts and destroys North Korea’s ballistic missiles at an altitude of more than 100 km. The American-made SM-3 has an interception altitude ranging from 100 km to a maximum of 300 km, based on the initial Block 1A model. The maximum flight range is known to be around 500 km.
Among the interceptor weapons currently deployed on the Korean Peninsula, such as the various interceptor missiles our military possesses and the U.S. Forces Korea’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, the interception altitude is the highest, so the range of multi-layered defense is broadened and the ability to defend against North Korean missiles increases significantly. There are expectations that it will improve.
●SM-3 verifies actual combat capabilities by intercepting Iranian missiles
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration held the 161st Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee on the 26th and announced that it had decided to purchase SM-3 from overseas to be mounted on the King Jeongjo class ship, the Navy’s next-generation Aegis ship (KDX-Ⅲ Batch-Ⅱ). The project cost is approximately 803.9 billion won. According to the current plan, about 40 SM-3 missiles, worth 20 billion won per shot, are expected to be introduced by 2030.
SM-3 is also famous as the missile that intercepted Iran’s air strike against Israel with about 300 missiles and drones on the 13th (local time). At the time, the U.S. military reportedly shot down more than three Iranian ballistic missiles by launching SM-3s mounted on Aegis destroyers at sea. This was the first time that the SM-3 missile was used in actual combat, and its accurate interception capabilities were verified through actual use.
Our Navy also raised a request through the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2013, emphasizing the need to introduce SM-3 to respond to North Korean missiles. Afterwards, after reviewing the effectiveness and financial conditions of the SM-3 considering the battlefield environment of the Korean Peninsula, its introduction was decided through the Defense Security Committee on this day.
SM-3 is scheduled to be installed later on the ROK Navy’s next-generation Aegis ships, which will have a total of three ships, one each in 2026 and 2027, starting with one ship at the end of this year. In addition to the SM-3, the next-generation Aegis ship is expected to be equipped with the SM-6 interceptor missile, which the U.S. government tentatively approved for sale to South Korea in November of last year, and is expected to greatly improve its ability to respond to North Korean ballistic missiles as well as its own defense capabilities. SM-6 can intercept ballistic missiles at an altitude of up to 35 km. Our Navy’s Aegis ships currently in operation are only equipped with missiles (SM-2) for intercepting aircraft such as North Korean fighter jets.
●“If SM-3 is introduced, it is possible to intercept North Korean missiles immediately after they descend.”
In particular, SM-3 is attracting attention because it will further strengthen our military’s North Korean missile defense system. Our military interception system includes medium-range surface-to-air missiles (Cheongung-II, interceptable altitudes below 20km) and Patriot missiles (PAC-3, below 30km) that intercept at the lower level (altitudes below 40km) even at the terminal stage of the missile. The weapon responsible for upper-level interception (altitude 40-100 km) during the terminal stage of the missile is the ‘Korean version of THAAD’ long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM, 40-60 km), which is scheduled to be deployed in 2026. In the case of THAAD deployed to the US Forces Korea, it intercepts at an altitude of 40 to 150 km, but there is an assessment that it has limitations as it only has one battery deployed in Seongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, making it difficult to defend the entire Korean Peninsula.
A DAPA official said, “SM-3 is capable of performing interception missions from the ‘middle stage’ (altitude of 100 km or more), when a North Korean missile peaks after being launched and begins to descend,” adding, “Even if interception is attempted in the middle stage and fails, the L “As interception can be attempted multiple times and at multiple stages with end-stage upper and lower level interception weapons such as SAM, M-SAM, and Patriot, the opportunity for interception increases and becomes safer,” he explained.
●“A close confrontation with North Korea… It is also pointed out that “weapons are not suitable for the Korean Peninsula battlefield”
However, in the case of short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea aimed at South Korea, they usually fly into South Korean airspace, reach a peak, and start descending at an altitude of less than 100 km, so the introduction of SM-3 was a decision that did not take into account the unique battlefield environment of the Korean Peninsula. There are also criticisms. In the case of Iran and Israel, they are 1,500km away from the capitals of the two countries, and the altitude from which they begin to descend during a missile attack is over 100km, making it an appropriate battlefield for using the SM-3. However, as the Korean Peninsula is a battlefield where a confrontation is taking place right under our noses, with the distance between Seoul and Pyongyang being only 200km, the missile flight altitude is also low, so it is pointed out that spending a lot of money to introduce SM-3 would be useless.
A DAPA official said, “The introduction of SM-3 is necessary to prepare for various scenarios, such as North Korea deliberately raising its flight altitude by launching ballistic missiles at high angles in actual combat,” and added, “Missiles equipped with weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons. “If intercepted or exploded at an altitude of 40 km or lower, the impact on the Korean Peninsula will be very large, so the decision to intercept at an altitude higher than 100 km is more efficient, which is also the background to the decision to introduce SM-3,” he explained.
Reporter Son Hyo-joo [email protected]
