South Korea’s LIG D&A Unveils KF-21 “Total Missile Package” — A $2.8 Billion Bid to End Dependence on European Missiles

South Korea’s LIG D&A, the renamed successor to LIG Nex1, has unveiled a “KF-21 Total Missile Package,” pitching one integrator to oversee the fighter’s core missile lineup. The plan would consolidate weapons such as the KGGB glide bomb and short-range air-to-air missiles, while pushing completion of an indigenous long-range air-to-air missile to reduce reliance on Europe’s Meteor and IRIS-T supply constraints. LIG D&A estimates the long-range missile effort could cost about $560 million, positioning the KF-21 for broader export independence.