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South Korea Completes Development of New Homegrown Missile Defense System - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - South Korea has completed development of a new domestically developed long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM) system to counter North Korea's alleged nuclear and missile threats, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, citing the South Korean Defense Ministry.

The new system will operate alongside the US-made Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and the domestically developed M-SAM II, both of which target threats at altitudes of 40 kilometers (25 miles) or lower.

"Even if North Korea attempts a missile provocation, the North cannot penetrate our military's sturdy defense system," South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

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Upon completion of development, South Korea is expected to launch production of the L-SAM next year and deploy it to the armed forces in the mid-to-late 2020s.

Once in service, the L-SAM is expected to take a key role in the country's multi-layered missile shield, dubbed the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD), the news agency said.