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Air defense system

South Korea

LIG Nex1

K-SAAM (Haegung)

A South Korean ship-launched short-range surface-to-air missile replacing RIM-116 RAM on Republic of Korea Navy frigates, distinct from the land-based KM-SAM already carried under this brand.

In service since 2021 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-19

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

ROK export-licensed

DAPA-administered; aggressive export posture with financing/offset packages.

Channel: Government-to-government

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2021. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Overview

K-SAAM (Korean Surface-to-Anti Air Missile), known domestically as Haegung (Hae-gung, "Sea Bow"), is a South Korean ship-launched short-range surface-to-air missile developed by the Agency for Defense Development with LIG Nex1 (now LIG Defense & Aerospace) and Hanwha Aerospace (then Hanwha Defense), entering service in 2021 to replace the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile aboard Republic of Korea Navy frigates. Per Wikipedia's infobox, the missile is 3.08 m long, reaches Mach 2, and has a 20 km range, using inertial mid-course guidance with a dual microwave/infrared terminal seeker in a fire-and-forget engagement; it is launched from the Korean Vertical Launch System (K-VLS). It has been fielded on Daegu-class frigates and the amphibious ship ROKS Marado. In 2024 Malaysia expressed interest in equipping its Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2 with K-SAAM, and Naval News reported in April 2026 that LIG signed its first export contract for 48 missiles to the Royal Malaysian Navy for that programme, K-SAAM's first export sale.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.	2 Mach Bottom 10% of air-defense systems
Engagement range Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.	20 km Stronger than 34% of air-defense systems

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	K-SAAM interceptor missile
Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.	Inertial mid-course guidance, Dual microwave/infrared terminal homing, Fire-and-forget

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	3.08 m

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	1 Stronger than 21% of air-defense systems

Specifications compiled from public LIG Nex1 and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-19.

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