A complete battery consists of up to six 8-cell transporter erector launchers, a passive electronically scanned arrayX-band multi-function phased array3D radar, and a fire command vehicle. The radar operates in the X-band and rotates at a rate of 40 rpm, covering up to 80 degrees in elevation. It can detect targets within and track up to 40 simultaneously. The KM-SAM is the middle-tier of South Korea's three-tier aerial and missile defense system. Though it was developed in Russia by the Almaz Design Bureau with assistance from Samsung Thales, LIG Nex1, and Doosan DST, localization and industrialization were done in South Korea enough to consider it an indigenous system. The Cheongung can intercept targets up to an altitude of at a range of. It is to replace upgraded MIM-23 Hawk batteries in South Korea and be made available for export. Almaz-Antey continued with the program after prototypes were transferred and have created a distinctly Russian version called the Vityaz missile system. The Republic of Korea Air Force revealed in mid-2015 that the KM-SAM would soon enter mass production and begin delivery to the Air Force that September, replacing the Hawk missile that had been in Korean service since 1964, which the United States military retired in 2002. The system can intercept up to six targets simultaneously, and the missiles have anti-electronic warfare capabilities to keep functioning despite jamming. The system passed the military's operational requirement verification test in July 2015, and began deployment in early 2016 near the maritime border with North Korea in the Yellow Sea. In April 2017, South Korean military officials revealed that a low-tier missile defense system based on the Cheongung was in the final phase of development. Modifying the standard SAM with hit-to-kill technology enables it to intercept incoming ballistic missiles at altitudes of around. Mass production is planned to begin in 2018 with deployment in 2019.
Further development
The Cheolmae 4-H L-SAM was to be an upper tier interceptor designed to take down ballistic missiles. It was to offer capabilities similar to that of the AmericanTerminal High Altitude Area Defense missile with a range of and ceiling of. Performance levels were to be twice as superior to the Patriot and Cheolmae II missiles, and was expected to be based on the Russian S-400 technology. The ADD plans to further develop the M-SAM as an anti-ballistic missile similar to the Patriot PAC-3, with increased range of and altitude coverage of. The Cheolmae-2 medium-range air defense missile will be able to be launched from the Korean Vertical Launch System aboard Daegu-class frigates in a naval role.
Accidents
On March 18, 2019, an accident occurred when a missile was fired during maintenance near an air base in Chuncheon. The missile's failsafe activated, causing it to self-destruct shortly after launch. The accident was caused by operator error.
