Iraq’s Ministry of Defense announced Thursday that it signed a contract with a South Korean company to procure a number of advanced medium-range batteries, “which will support the capabilities of the Iraqi Armed Forces and military forces to maintain peace and Iraq’s sovereignty.”

In the Ministry statement Iraq’s Defense Chief said he considered the deal a “qualitative strategic breakthrough for the country’s air defense as it covers all Iraqi airspace and achieves the regional balance of the country,” BREAKING DEFENSE reported.

The Iraqi statement didn’t reveal specifics, but South Korean and international press have since reported that South Korea’s LIG Nex1 defense firm said it will provide the Cheongung-II air defense system for $2.8 billion.

With Iraq’s purchase, LIG Nex1 has secured its third export deal for the Cheongung-II system - all three Arab countries: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and now Iraq.

On 07 February 2024, South Korea’s and Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministries revealed that LIG Nex1 signed a $3.2 billion contract with the Saudi Ministry of Defense in November to deliver its missile interceptor system called Cheongung II in Korean, meaning “Heaven’s Bow”, also known as M-SAM II, to the Kingdom, KED Global reported.

In January 2022, LIG Nex1 won a $3.5 billion deal to sell the M-SAM II system to the United Arab Emirates. (Iraq’s Ministry of Defense; BREAKING DEFENSE; KED Global; File Photo: Cheongung-II Air Defense System © LIG Nex1)