December 16, 2011: South Korea has revealed a locally designed
and produced Iron Hawk II anti-aircraft missile system intended
to replace three existing U.S. Hawk missile battalions and
provide protection from North Korean rockets and ballistic
missiles. In development for over five years the new Iron Hawk
II is mobile. The radar and launchers are carried on trucks.
Each launcher truck has six missiles in sealed storage/firing
containers. The missiles have a max range of 40 kilometers and a
max altitude of 15,000 meters (46,500 feet). The search radar
(with a max range of 100 kilometers) guides missiles part of the
way before the missiles' own guidance system takes over for the
final approach. South Korea had help from Russia in developing
the AESA search radar and the missiles. Russia and South Korea
have become major trading partners and South Korea allowed
Russia to pay off some Cold War era debt with military equipment
and technology.