The government has completed development of its long-range surface-to-air missile(L-SAM) system, capable of shooting down North Korean missiles at a higher altitude.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration(DAPA) on Saturday, the L-SAM was recently assessed as combat-suitable as it met both technical and military requirements.

The L-SAM, a key part of the Korea Air and Missile Defense(KAMD) system designed to shoot down incoming targets at altitudes of 50 to 60 kilometers, is expected to begin production as early as next year for deployment by 2028.

The military currently relies on the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) system for high altitude defense, and operates the homegrown medium-range surface-to-air missile system and the U.S. Patriot Advanced Capability-Three system at lower altitudes.

It is currently developing a Block-Two version of the L-SAM designed to intercept targets at altitudes higher than the current one.