South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a ceremony to mark the completion of the development of the Korean Vertical Launching System-II (KVLS-II) at Hanwha Aerospace’s Changwon 2 plant on September 25, 2025.
Representatives from the DAPA, Republic of Korea Navy Headquarters, Agency for Defense Development (ADD) , Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTAQ), and Defense Rapid Acquisition Technology Research Institute (DRATRI) attended the event to commemorate the successful development of the KVLS-II, which will be deployed on destroyers and contribute to strengthening national defense capabilities.
The KVLS-II development project is a successful case of development under a change of leadership from the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) to the private sector, Hanwha Aerospace, and is a meaningful achievement that demonstrates the potential of private sector-led research and development in the defense industry.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) invested approximately 71 billion won in the five-year system development project, which began in late 2020. The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) provided technical support to help private companies secure technology they lacked, and actively supported the development process to ensure the Navy’s operational experience with the KVLS was reflected. This effort reportedly ensured the project’s stable completion without extending the development period or increasing costs.
KVLS-II is a next-generation guided weapon launching platform with improved size and performance compared to the existing KVLS, and was developed to handle the high temperature and high pressure flames generated when launching more powerful missiles.
In particular, the “Any Cell, Any Missile” concept is implemented through the standardized design of guided weapon linkages, enabling the operation of multiple missile types within a single cell. This allows for the flexible installation of armament, including Ship-to-Surface, Ship-to-Ship, and Ship-to-Air guided weapons, depending on the situation.
Furthermore, the redundant design ensures that even if one system fails, functionality is maintained through the other system, ensuring stable operations.
KVLS-II will be initially installed on the Aegis destroyer KDX-III Batch-II, which was delivered to the ROK Navy at the end of last year, and is also scheduled to be installed on the next-generation Korean destroyer, KDDX, which will be built in the future.
‘Current Capabilities Program Agency’ Administrator said:
“The success of the KVLS-II system development was possible thanks to the support of government agencies such as the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), as well as the challenging spirit of the industry.”
“Based on this successful development case, we will continue to strive to strengthen national defense capabilities and expand defense industry research and development capabilities.”
