Korean vertical launching system
The Korean vertical launching system, or K-VLS is a hot-launch vertical launching system developed by South Korea to be deployed by the Republic of Korea Navy. It is used in the Sejong the Great-class destroyer, KSS-III submarine, and is scheduled to be added to the Daegu-class frigate. The K-VLS can deploy the Cheongung air defense missile, Haegung air defense missile, K745A1 Red Shark anti-submarine missile, Haeseong-II, Hyunmoo-3 land-attack cruise missiles and even SLBMs.
Three systems may be referred to as K-VLS.
- The "K-VLS" is comparable in size and role to the strike-length Mk 41 VLS. It comes in 8-cell modules sized at 3.165 m × 2.076 m × 7.7 m.
- The "K-VLS Compact" is specialized for the K-SAAM surface-to-air missile. It comes in modules of 4 cells, sized at 2.9 m × 2.6 m × 4.9 m. Its role can be compared to the Mk 48/56 VLS for RIM-162 ESSM.
- Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarines use a K-VLS that has a module size different from either version. Presumably this is a distinct variant comparable in role to the US Mk 45.