Documents
South Korea LIG Nex1
Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II)
A South Korean medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed with Russian technical assistance, providing hit-to-kill defense against aircraft and short-range ballistic missiles. Cheongung II adds ballistic-missile-defense capability over the original KM-SAM.
In service since 2017 · 2 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
40
km range
20,000
m altitude
6
targets
100
km radar
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 · 2 operators
In service since 2017. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
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.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 5 Mach Stronger than 68% of air-defense systems
- Engagement range
Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.
- 40 km Stronger than 45% of air-defense systems
- Engagement altitude
Maximum target altitude the system can reach.
- 20,000 m Stronger than 52% of air-defense systems
- Simultaneous targets
Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.
- 6 Stronger than 44% of air-defense systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- Cheongung II interceptor missile
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- Hit-to-kill kinetic
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Hit-to-kill, Active radar homing
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- Multifunction phased array radar
- Radar range
Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first.
- 100 km Stronger than 31% of air-defense systems
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- Battery command network
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 2 Stronger than 43% of air-defense systems
Specifications compiled from public LIG Nex1 and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the engagement range of the LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II)? +
The LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II) has a maximum engagement range of 40 km.
What is the main armament of the LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II)? +
The LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II)'s primary weapon is the Cheongung II interceptor missile.
What is the LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II) used for? +
The LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II) is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II)? +
The LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II) is operated by 2 countries.
How much does the LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II) cost? +
LIG Nex1 Cheongung II (KM-SAM Block II): Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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