Military intelligence sources have uncovered evidence suggesting that classified information related to the Artillery Targeting Radar-II (ATR-II, also known as Cheonggyeong-II or TPQ-74K) has been compromised and leaked to a civilian defense contractor. The ATR-II is a crucial component in counter-battery operations against North Korea’s long-range artillery.
According to military officials on Friday, the Defense Security Command (DSC) launched an investigation after receiving intelligence about the potential breach of classified information pertaining to the ATR-II project. The inquiry revealed that an active-duty service member was implicated in the leak. Subsequently, the case was referred to the Navy Prosecutor’s Office with a recommendation for prosecution. The naval prosecutors will determine whether to press charges for violations of the Military Secrets Protection Act after conducting additional inquiries.
Sources close to the matter indicate that the breach occurred when the service member in question collected Level 3 classified documents and passed them to the contractor. It is believed that the individual repeatedly requested access to classified materials throughout the ATR-II’s development process, enabling them to amass specific sensitive information.
The DSC has identified five individuals, including company representatives, as being involved in the incident.
The ATR-II, developed between 2011 and 2017, entered service in 2018. By March 2024, it had been fully deployed across all army corps and on northwestern islands. Mounted on a 5-ton truck for enhanced mobility, the system employs Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology, featuring over 1,000 independently operating transmit-receive modules.
This advanced weapons system can detect projectiles fired from North Korea’s 170mm self-propelled howitzers and 240mm multiple rocket launchers within approximately 10 seconds of launch. It then back-tracks the projectile’s trajectory to pinpoint the firing position and relays this data in real time to command centers and artillery units. The ATR-II’s operational reliability and durability have garnered significant interest in international defense markets.
Defense officials are concerned that the compromise of system specifications, performance data, maintenance information, and operational parameters of the ATR-II could potentially enhance enemy capabilities to disrupt or evade detection, thereby degrading the effectiveness of South Korean military operations. In response, the DSC has focused its investigation on determining the classification level of the leaked information, the extent of the breach, and whether the data has been further disseminated.
The ATR-II program has now transitioned to a Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) support phase. Defense contractor LIG Nex1 secured an 83.2 billion KRW (approximately 59 million USD) contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration this year to provide logistical support through 2030. Military authorities are investigating whether the alleged leak might be connected to information being handled during this follow-up support phase.
This incident follows a previous case involving LIG Nex1, where the company was subject to a search and seizure operation by the DSC over allegations of leaking military secrets related to an unmanned surface vessel reconnaissance project. In February, the DSC referred a Navy colonel to military prosecutors on charges of leaking project materials. That case is currently under investigation by the Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office.