South Korea’s first export of the Haegung naval air defense missile system to Malaysia expands its access to global defense markets while tying export outcomes more closely to foreign platform builders and integration decisions outside its control.

Signed on the sidelines of the Defense Services Asia (DSA) 2026 exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, the $94 million deal with South Korea’s LIG Defense & Aerospace will see the domestically developed missile deployed aboard Turkish-built corvettes for the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Beyond its commercial value, the agreement illustrates how South Korean firms are positioning themselves as suppliers of modular capabilities that can be