According to military and defense industry sources, the UAE has been dispatching several C-17 transport aircraft to an air base in Daegu since earlier this week to carry Cheongung-II batteries and interceptor missiles.
One C-17 aircraft was seen parked on the runway at the Daegu air base on Friday. A total of eight UAE transport aircraft are expected to be used for the shipment, according to sources.
Cheongung-II batteries and interceptor missiles are normally transported to the UAE by sea. But the maritime route has been disrupted as the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blocked following the outbreak of the Iran war, prompting Abu Dhabi to use air transport instead.
The UAE, which urgently needs to secure the missile defense system, is believed to have sent its own Air Force transport aircraft to bring the batteries and interceptors directly from South Korea.
A Cheongung-II battery consists of four launcher vehicles, each equipped with eight launch tubes, along with a multifunction radar and an engagement control center, and it is being delivered this time is expected to arrive about six months earlier than the original delivery schedule.
It is the first time in about three months that UAE transport aircraft have been spotted at the Daegu air base.
The UAE signed a contract in 2022 with South Korea’s LIG Defense & Aerospace, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Aerospace to purchase 10 Cheongung-II batteries. Two batteries have so far been deployed for operational use.
When Iran launched missile attacks toward neighboring countries after being hit by U.S. and Israeli strikes, Cheongung-II systems deployed in the UAE were reportedly activated alongside other air defense systems, including the U.S.-made Patriot and Israel’s Arrow, to intercept Iranian missiles.
Cheongung-II, also known as M-SAM II, is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles and aircraft. The system is considered one of South Korea’s key defense export items in the Middle East.
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