South Korean anti-tank missile clears key hurdle before deployment

Hanwha Aerospace is set to kick off full-scale mass production of a locally developed anti-tank missile for the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Light Armed Helicopter (LAH).

A production representative version of the Cheongeom anti-tank missile successfully hit a target after being launched from an LAH, says South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The test of South Korea’s first locally designed air-launched guided missile confirms that the mass-produced weapon performs identically to the weapon developed in research and development.

The test was also a key step before the weapon’s deployment.

In December, Hanwha confirmed that it had received a KRW225 billion ($152 million) contract to start producing the weapon, with deliveries to be completed by 2028. This followed a previous KRW162 billion production contract in 2024.

Cheongeom, also known as “TAipers” (tank snipers), replaces the US‑made BGM‑71 TOW and development was completed in 2022. The missile has a dual‑mode seeker and supports both fire‑and‑forget and fire‑and‑update employment.

In addition to arming the LAH, Cheongeom will also arm the new attack variant of the KAI KUH-1 Surion helicopter being developed for South Korea’s marines.

“We have confirmed that Cheongeom has stably achieved the required performance and quality even during the mass production stage,” says Shin Sang-beom, the head of South Korea’s Defense Agency for Technology and Quality.

“We will continue to systematically verify and manage the quality of domestically produced weapon systems to enhance the reliability of deployed weapon systems and contribute to enhancing future export competitiveness.”