Having completed a feasibility study on the possibility of developing a new short-range air-to-air missile, the South Korean government has approved a plan to begin development of the missile.
Tentatively designated as the short-range air-to-air missile-II (SRAAM-II), the programme was initially announced in December 2023 with an estimated project cost of KRW591.9 billion (USD402.44 million).
“The total project cost was finally confirmed to be KRW661.5 billion through a project feasibility study conducted in 2024,” a Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) spokesperson told Janes on 30 December 2024, adding that the missile development programme will be active from 2025 to 2035.
The DAPA defence project promotion committee approved the draft plan for systems development of the missile during its 165th meeting on 16 December 2024. According to the DAPA spokesperson, project teams are identifying programme-relevant technologies that are currently “insufficient”, to develop them into “core technologies”.
“The missile will be developed under the supervision of the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and the [production partner] company will be selected at a later date,” the spokesperson added.
The external design configuration of the new missile is unknown at the time of publication. According to the DAPA spokesperson the “design work is not [yet] under way”.
While South Korea is currently developing other air-launched missiles, including a new long-range air-to-air missile (LRAAM), the SRAAM-II programme aims to give the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 ‘Boramae' 4.5-generation fighter aircraft, a short-range infrared (IR)-homing air-to-air missile.
The SRAAM-II “is planned to be developed to have similar performance and functions to other fifth-generation air-to-air guided missiles, such as the AIM-9X and IRIS-T,” the DAPA spokesperson said.
DAPA has previously said that technologies will be developed for the SRAAM-II to give the missile “all-round engagement capabilities and survival”.
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