At the Eurosatory 2026 defense exhibition, Germany's Rheinmetall and South Korea's LIG Defense & Aerospace agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the field of air and missile defense systems. Given the shortage of such systems, it is worth considering what this news could mean for Europe and Ukraine.
According to a press release issued by the companies, a joint venture will be established in the near term, in which the German conglomerate will hold a majority stake. The joint venture will be responsible for promoting, developing, and localizing the production of medium- and long-range anti-aircraft missiles developed in South Korea.
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The work will be carried out in close cooperation with Rheinmetall in the field of short-range air defense systems. The two companies will collaborate on developing systems to fill gaps in the short-range segment, with the aim of providing solutions for every layer of air defense.
From Defense Express we would like to note that for Europe, this means the emergence of highly competitive modern anti-aircraft missiles, which are currently gaining popularity. These include the KM-SAM II (Cheongung II), which is already in mass production, and the KM-SAM III (Cheongung III), currently under development, for medium-range defense, as well as the L-SAM for long-range defense.
It is worth noting that Europe already has a wide range of air defense systems, some of which have even been tested in Ukraine. These include the Iris-T SLM, NASAMS, MICA NG VL, and SAMP/T. This raises the question of whether South Korean systems will find a place in the market.
The KM-SAM II has a distinct advantage, as it shot down a ballistic missile during the war in the Middle East earlier this year and demonstrated exceptional effectiveness. This could be a compelling argument, since the SAMP/T NG is not yet ready, leaving the region without a reliable means of intercepting ballistic missiles other than the American Patriot PAC-3 MSE.
However, Ukraine will most likely be unable to take advantage of the localization of such systems in Europe, as South Korea has previously refused to sell them. As of now, there is no information indicating a change in this position.
Moreover, a German-Ukrainian project to develop a ballistic missile interceptor is currently underway, with work being conducted on the Freya system as part of it. The localization in Germany of the KM-SAM II and other South Korean systems could create a serious competitor that is already operational and fully functional.
On the other hand, the emergence of an alternative might free up production capacity, allowing for faster deliveries of European equipment to Ukraine. However, it remains unclear what delivery schedule South Korea will offer, as the situation with air defense systems is more complex than with tanks.
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