South Korea completes Cheongeom missile final certification
A KAI LAH-1 Miron launches a Cheongeom ATGM during the weapon final certification test on 10 March 2026. (DAPA)
South Korea has completed the final quality certification of its air-launched Cheongeom (TAipers) anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), according to the Defense Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA).
The Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTAQ) completed the certification tests for the Cheongeom at the Anheung Test Center at Taean on 10 March, DAPA announced that same day. The agency released photographs of the testing, showing a Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) LAH-1 (Light Armed Helicopter) Miron launching the missile.
The test simulated military operating conditions with the missile âaccurately hitting the targetâ, DAPA said. The agency continued that the certification test assessed the missile's operational performance, âconfirming quality and reliability before deploymentâ.
Developed to replace legacy BGM-71 tubeâlaunched, optically tracked, wireâguided (TOW) missiles in the Republic of Korea (RoK) Armed Forces, the lock-on-before-launch (LOBL) Cheongeom is designed to strike armoured targets at a maximum range of 8 km. The ATGM has a cruise speed of about 200 m/s and is designed for employment by light attack helicopters. The weapon system features four major subsections â seeker, propulsion, control mechanism, and battery â and a fibre-optic cable at the rear.
The Cheongeom is the first domestically developed air-to-surface guided missile, according to DAPA. The agency previously told Janes that, in addition to the LAH, the MUH-1 Marineon helicopters of the RoK Marine Corps (RoKMC) will also be armed with the missile.
The final certification tests confirmed that the Cheongeom achieved stable performance and met quality parameters, said Shin Sang-bum, the head of DTAQ.
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