South Korea develops air defence vehicle

South Korea's arms procurement agency said Friday that it completed development of a multi-purpose air defence vehicle with guided missiles based on indigenous technology.

The 30mm caliber air defence system was developed by combining the existing self-propelled gun vehicle called Biho with the portable ground-to-air guided missile named Shingung, Xinhua quoted the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The system development was launched in 2010, led by local defence companies such as Doosan Defense Systems and Technology, Samsung Thales and LIG Nex1.

The DAPA said the system modernized the existing self-propelled guns developed in 1980s, while enhancing combat capabilities by integrating longer-range guided missiles that can strike aircrafts flying at a low altitude.

The self-propelled gun was known to have a range of 3 km, with the surface-to-air guided missile having a range of 7 km.

The multi-purpose air defence vehicle planned to be mass-produced next year, before being deployed to troops in 2015.