UAE bỏ 3,5 tỷ đô, mua hệ thống phòng không KM-SAM
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced today that it will acquire South Korea's Cheongung KM-SAM medium-ranged air defense system in a contract worth up to $3.5 billion.
This comes after several year-long negotiation that was first reported back in 2017-18 timeframe. KM-SAM Block-I missiles are designed to target enemy aircraft; the Block-II model introduced anti-missile capability. KM-SAM replaced the MIM-23 HAWK missiles in Republic of Korea Air Force service.
UAE is likely acquiring KM-SAM to boost its air defense capability to counter threats posed by Iranian missiles and UAVs. Iranian-made UAVs, supplied to their Houthi proxies, have been successfully employed as stand-off weapons against targets in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in numerous occasions.
Saudi and UAE forces have been primarily relying on US-made Patriot missiles. KM-SAM will likely be forward deployed due to its mobility while Patriot missiles will be employed as point defense weapons in strategic areas.