The South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace announced the completion of the development of the Korean Vertical Launching System KVLS-II, a project launched in 2020 and concluded after five years of joint work between the public and private sectors. The closing ceremony was held on September 25 at Plant 2 in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, with the participation of officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the South Korean Navy, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ), and the Defense Rapid Acquisition Technology Research Institute.
The KVLS-II was developed to launch larger guided missiles and is designed under the concept “Any Cell, Any Missile,” which allows each launch cell to employ different types of weapons. It also withstands higher combustion temperatures than the previous system and features a dual redundancy cell design, ensuring operational continuity even in the event of partial failures.
According to Hanwha Aerospace, the project was completed on schedule and within budget. Kim Dong-hyun, head of the company’s LS Division, highlighted: “Because we had an organic collaboration with government agencies, we were able to successfully complete the first development project led by the private sector. We will continue strengthening our R&D capabilities to contribute to self-reliant defense.”
The KVLS-II will be installed for the first time on ROKS Jeongjo the Great (DDG-995), the first AEGIS destroyer of the KDX-III Batch II class, commissioned into the South Korean Navy in November 2024. This new subclass of destroyers, with a displacement of 8,200 tons, integrates the latest version of the U.S.-origin AEGIS combat system and locally developed vertical launch systems for the deployment of SM-3 anti-air missiles, aimed at ballistic missile defense missions within the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD).
The KDX-III Batch II series consists of three destroyers: ROKS Jeongjo the Great (DDG-995), already in service; the second ship, currently in an advanced stage of construction with delivery scheduled for late 2026; and ROKS Dasan Jeong Yak-yong (DDG-996), launched on September 17, 2025, in Ulsan, with planned commissioning in 2027.
Bang Geuk-cheol, head of DAPA’s Base Power Project Group, stated that the KDX-III Batch II destroyers “are designed to handle a wide range of threats and will play a leading role in protecting national security and maritime sovereignty.”
With the completion of the KVLS-II development, South Korea strengthens the integration of local systems into its surface fleet, ensuring greater operational flexibility and responsiveness in various maritime defense scenarios.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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