South Korea has completed the development of a long-range surface-to-air missile(L-SAM) system using homegrown technology and will begin mass production next year.

The L-SAM system is designed to incapacitate enemy targets at altitudes of at least 40 kilometers, thereby minimizing damage on the ground.

At a ceremony marking the accomplishment on Friday, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said North Korea will not be able to penetrate the military’s solid defense network with missiles and that an attack would mean the “end of the regime.”

The military expects the L-SAM system to bolster its defense capabilities against multilayered missiles, along with the U.S. Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and the medium-range surface-to-air missile systems capable of intercepting targets at 40 kilometers or below.

The L-SAM system is also equipped with an advanced precision-guided “hit to kill” technology that can neutralize high-speed targets flying at high altitudes with a low atmospheric density.

The military plans to begin deployment of the system during the mid- to late 2020s.