According to information received by the South Korean company Hanwha Defense, at the International Maritime Defense Industry MADEX 2021 which takes place in South Korea’s port city of Busan, Hanwha Defense promotes its KVLS or Korean Vertical Launch System.
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Hanwha Defense displays its KVLS Korean Vertical Launch System at MADEX 2021. (Picture source Hanwha Defense)
Jointly developed by the state-funded Agency for Defense Development and Hanwha Defense, the KVLS is South Korean Navy’s standard vertical launch system for holding and firing different types of guided weapons, including anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface missiles.
Operational with the South Korean Navy’s guided missile KDX destroyers, including the Sejong-the Great-class known as KDX-III and newer Daegu-class frigates, the KVLS features a lower radar cross-section as it is installed under the deck, compared to older launching systems fed from behind by a magazine below the main deck.
An upgraded variant of the KVLS, the KVLS-II is being developed by Hanwha Defense itself. The new system is to grow in size and capable of launching newly-developed guided missiles.
In particular, the KVLS-II is to be fitted with much more improved payload capacity and heat-resistant capability to help naval platforms conduct precision strikes from longer distances.
