Military Develops Expanded Surface Use of Proximity Defense Weapon Systems for Ships

The proximity defense weapon system, CIWS, which is the last defense against enemy attacks in ships, will be expanded and developed for ground use.

According to the data received by Yoo Yong-won, a member of the National Defense Committee, from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration will complete the development of the CIWS-II system by 2027 to secure the final stage of defense capabilities of the ship.

It is also known that the DAPA has a goal of expanding and developing a ground-type anti-aircraft defense system based on this and is considering to reflect it in this year's integration requirements.CIWS, also called 'goalkeeper' in the sense of

'last line of defense', refers to the last air defense weapon system that intercepts missiles at close range when air defense systems such as ship-to-air missiles fail to intercept ships.

The CIWS-II developed in Korea is known to have significantly improved range, reaction speed, and firepower compared to the existing system by installing an active phase array radar and a 30mm machine gun.

Rep. Yoo Yong-won stressed the need to operate ground-based CIWS as a last-ditch shield for protection of the Seoul metropolitan area at a time when North Korea has recently unveiled a new self-destructive drone and threatened to launch a large-scale artillery provocation through missiles and long-range artillery.