SM-3 Intercepts Iranian Missiles, Defends Against North Korean Threats

SM-3 proves its combat capabilities by intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles capable of intercepting North Korean missiles as soon as they reach their peak and begin their descent to to create ‘dense’. a multi-layered defense network facing right in front of North Korea… “A weapon completely unsuitable for the battlefield environment on the Korean Peninsula” DAPA says “North Korea’s nuclear weapons must be captured from high altitudes to be beneficial.”

Military authorities have decided to introduce the SM-3, a missile mounted on Navy Aegis ships that intercepts and destroys North Korean ballistic missiles at an altitude of more than 100 km. The American-made SM-3, based on the first Block 1A model, has an interception altitude between 100 km and a maximum of 300 km. The maximum flight range is known to be around 500 km.

Among the interceptor weapons currently in use on the Korean Peninsula, such as our military’s various interceptor missiles and the US Forces’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, the interception height is the maximum, so the range is multiple. line defenses are expanded and the ability to defend against North Korean missiles increases significantly.

● SM-3 proves real combat capabilities by taking on Iranian missiles

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration held the 161st Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee on the 26th and announced that they had decided to purchase SM-3 from overseas to be mounted on the King Jeongjo class ship, the next generation Aegis ship at the Navy (KDX-Ⅲ Batch-Ⅱ). The cost of the project is approximately 803.9 billion won. According to the current plan, about 40 SM-3 missiles, worth 20 billion won per bullet, are expected to be introduced by 2030.

SM-3 is also famous as the missile that stopped Iran’s air strike against Israel with about 300 missiles and drones on the 13th (local time). At the time, the US 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 the SM-3 missile was used in real combat, and its accurate interception capabilities were proven through real use.

Our Navy also raised a request through the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2013, emphasizing the need to bring in SM-3 to respond to North Korean missiles. After that, after reviewing the efficiency and financial situation of the SM-3 considering the environment of the battlefield of the Korean Peninsula, it was brought into its decision 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 US government tentatively approved for sale to South Korea in November -will affect the ship’s 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) to intercept 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, the SM-3 is attracting attention because it will strengthen our military’s North Korean missile defense system. Our weapon interception system includes medium-range surface-to-air missiles (Cheongung-II, interception altitudes below 20km) and Patriot missiles (PAC-3, below 30km) that take over at the lowest level (altitude below 40km) even at the destination. the level of the bullet. The weapon responsible for high-altitude interception (altitude 40-100 km) at the end of the missile phase is the long-range surface-to-air missile ‘Korea de THAAD’ (L-SAM, 40-60 km), which is expected to be installed in 2026. In the case of THAAD sent to the US Korean Forces, it will include at an altitude of 40 to 150 km, but there is an assessment that there are limits having only 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 conducting intercept missions from the ‘middle level’ (altitude of 100 km or more), when a North Korean missile reaches altitude after launch and begins to descend,” adding, “Even if an intervention is attempted in the middle stage and fails, the L “As an attempt can be made many times at many levels with high- and low-level interception weapons such as SAM, M-SAM, and Patriot, the opportunity for intervention increases and becomes safer,” he explained.

●“ Close conflict with North Korea… It is also pointed out that “weapons are not suitable for the battlefield of the Korean Peninsula”

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 altitude, and begins to descend at an altitude of less than 100 km, thus introducing SM- 3 is a decision that did not take into account the unique battlefield environment of the Korean Peninsula There is also criticism. In the case of Iran and Israel, they are 1,500km away from the capitals of both countries, and the height from which they begin to descend through a missile attack is more than 100km, making it a suitable battlefield for the SM-3 use However, as the Korean Peninsula is a battlefield where conflicts are happening right under our noses, with the distance between Seoul and Pyongyang only 200km, the height of the missile flight is also low, so it is ‘noting that a lot of money is being spent. it would be pointless to include SM-3.

A DAPA official said, “The introduction of SM-3 is necessary to prepare for various scenarios, such as North Korea deliberately increasing its flight altitude by launching ballistic missiles at high angles in combat real,” and he added, “missiles equipped with weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons. also to include the background of the SM-3 decision,” he explained.

Reporter Son Hyo-joo hjson@donga.com