South Korea's DAPA announced on 15 December that Hanwha Defense's new 30 mm wheeled SPAAG system had been deployed by the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. (DAPA)
The Republic of Korea (RoK) Armed Forces has started deployment of a new 30 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) system produced by Hanwha Defense.
The Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 15 December that Hanwha Defense has delivered an initial batch of the systems that were ordered in June 2020 for KRW250 billion (USD211 million).
The SPAAG, based on the chassis of Hyundai Rotem's K808 8×8 armoured vehicle, will replace the 20 mm M167 Vulcan Air Defense System that has been operational for more than 40 years in South Korea's army, air force, and marine corps.
The SPAAG is expected to replace the M167 in stages, till the early 2030s. Speaking to Janes , a South Korean military official said that a total of 300 SPAAGs would be deployed across the RoK Armed Forces.
DAPA said the SPAAG weighs 26.5 tons and can travel up to 90 km/h. It is equipped with a pair of podded 30 mm autocannons on the turret, capable of firing 600 rounds per minute.
Its firing range is 3 km, 1.2 km farther than the M167. The SPAAG also features an electro-optical/infrared system enabling automatic day/night target tracking.
While Hanwha Defense led the SPAAG programme, several other major firms and about 200 small firms participated in its development. DAPA has previously said that more than 95% of the SPAAG system was made using indigenous technologies.
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