LIG Defense & Aerospace Co., Ltd.
Korean defence firm (est. 1976, formerly LIG Nex1, KRX: 079550) building Sea Sword/Haegum armed USVs, mine-search AUVs, torpedoes and naval sonars.
LIG Defense & Aerospace Co., Ltd. (LIG D&A) is a South Korean defence company that develops and manufactures guided weapons, naval combat and sonar systems, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, command-and-control and communications systems, avionics and drones, electronic warfare systems and uncrewed platforms. It was known as LIG Nex1 until 31 March 2026, when shareholders at its 24th annual general meeting, held at the head office in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, approved the new name to mark the company's 50th anniversary and its expansion into aerospace. The head office is at 207 Mabuk-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin, and the company also runs Pangyo House at 333 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam. The company is listed on the Korea Exchange (code 079550) and belongs to the LIG group, whose holding company is LIG Corp.
The company traces its origins to Goldstar Precision Industrial, founded in February 1976. Early work included assembly of the Vulcan radar for Korea's Ministry of Defense and the first domestically developed ship radars in 1980. Later milestones on the official history include Korea's first domestic heavyweight torpedo (1998), the Pegasus surface-to-air missile (1999), the C-STAR mid-range ship-to-ship missile (2003) and the Chiron portable surface-to-air missile (2004). The company took the name LIG Nex1 in 2007. Export milestones include the first export of C-STAR to Central and South America in 2012 and contracts to supply the M-SAM II (Cheongung II) air-defence system to a Middle Eastern country in 2021 and to Saudi Arabia in 2023. Its Poniard 2.75-inch guided rocket passed US Department of Defense Foreign Comparative Testing in 2019.
In the maritime field LIG D&A supplies the Tiger Shark heavyweight torpedo, a lightweight torpedo, Blue Shark and Red Shark anti-submarine guided missiles, a mobile sea decoy, hull-mounted sonars and integrated sonar systems for KSS-III submarines, KDX-III Batch-II destroyers and the KDDX destroyer, a Harbor Underwater Surveillance System, the LINCS naval combat system and sonars for unmanned underwater vehicles. Its marine robotics products include an autonomous underwater vehicle for mine search, which uses sonar and cameras for target detection and identification, hybrid INS and dead-reckoning navigation, obstacle avoidance, RF and underwater communication links, and an integrated motor propulsor. The unmanned systems line also lists an ROV, a communication and surveillance device for unmanned surface vehicles, and military insect-type ground robots, as well as the LEXO series of lower-limb exoskeletons and a laser rifle.
The best-known uncrewed system is the Sea Sword (Haegum) family of unmanned surface vehicles, designed for coastal surveillance and reconnaissance, maritime disaster response and armed missions. The company describes autonomous navigation and return, obstacle detection and collision avoidance, long-range broadband remote control, operation in sea state 4 or higher, and mission payloads such as a remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS), guided rockets, sonar and unmanned underwater vehicles. Janes reported in August 2021 that the company had completed sea trials of Sea Sword 3 (Haegum-3), which can optionally carry up to eight people and mount an RCWS with a 12.7 mm machine gun plus a 2.75-inch guided rocket launcher. Janes gives Haegum-3 as 12 m long with a 3.5 m beam, 11 tonnes displacement and a top speed of 35 knots, and the smaller Haegum-5 as 8 m long, 3.2 tonnes and 40 knots.
On 1 June 2026 LIG D&A said it had demonstrated an AI-enabled command-and-control system for uncrewed surface vehicles, developed with Palantir Technologies, in front of officials from the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and the Korea Coast Guard. The system controlled a mixed swarm of four USVs: a Haegum-3, a Haegum-5 and two new Haegum-S vessels, a small multi-purpose USV built using additive manufacturing that was unveiled at the event. The demonstration linked the boats to simulators over satellite communications so they could engage simulated destroyers, torpedoes, sonobuoys and loitering munitions in anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare scenarios.
Other current programmes highlighted on the company's site include the KF-21 electronic warfare suite, a micro-satellite system, military satellite communications system II, and a small reconnaissance and strike drone. The company describes itself as aiming to become a global integrated defence company covering both defence and aerospace.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
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Contact LIG Defense & Aerospace Co., Ltd.
WEBSITE
https://www.ligdefenseaerospace.com/PHONE
+82 31 5179 7000HEADQUARTERS
Korea, Republic of (South)
Company Facts
Founded
1976
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Asia-Pacific
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Public
Funding Total
-
