SOUTH KOREA'S LIG NEX1 OFFERS KM-SAM TO FULFIL MALAYSIA'S MEDIUM RANGE AIR DEFENCE SYSTEM NEEDS

By Nabilah Saleh

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- South Korea’s LIG Nex1 has formally proposed its KM-SAM (Cheongung) to meet Malaysia’s Medium Range Air Defence (MERAD) system requirement under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), positioning the programme as a strategic priority aligned with the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s capability enhancement roadmap. 

Head of LIG Nex1 Malaysia Office Osung Lee said KM-SAM, currently deployed by the Republic of Korea Air Force and operated by several countries, provides both anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missile capability.

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“Our system is proven and deployed by the Korean Air Force. Unlike some competitors that focus only on anti-aircraft functions, KM-SAM includes anti-ballistic capability at a competitive price,” he told Bernama in an interview recently.

Lee said delivery timelines and cost competitiveness were among the system’s advantages, particularly as several countries are facing extended waiting periods for similar platforms.

Beyond the MERAD bid, he said the company intends to anchor its Southeast Asian operations in Malaysia, with plans to gradually establish local industrial capability.

Lee highlighted that under South Korea’s “K-Defence” export approach, technology transfer would include structured training for Malaysian engineers in South Korea, followed by phased local involvement in production.

LIG Nex1 opened its Malaysian branch in December last year, joining the list of its international offices in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Latin America.

The Kuala Lumpur office is intended to serve as its regional coordination hub for Southeast Asia.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) is reportedly planning to procure the MERAD system in 2026 under the First Rolling Plan (RP1) of the 13MP, to complement and operationally integrate with the Short Range Air Defence Systems (SHORADS) currently deployed across the country’s armed forces.

The procurement of the MERAD system forms part of a high-priority capability modernisation package scheduled for execution throughout RP1 of the 13MP, in line with the Malaysian Armed Forces’ (MAF) phased, fiscally disciplined, and long-term capability-oriented modernisation approach.

The planned acquisition of MERAD during the 13MP is regarded as one of the most significant steps in Malaysia’s long-delayed effort to establish a layered, credible, and operationally effective national air defence architecture.

-- BERNAMA