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South Korea LIG Nex1
K731 White Shark
South Korea's first indigenous heavyweight torpedo, submarine-launched for both anti-submarine and anti-surface engagements. In production since 2004; being succeeded in newer Republic of Korea Navy submarines by LIG Nex1's fiber-optic-guided K761 Tiger Shark.
1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗
💲 ≈ $790,000 (public figure)
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
ROK export-licensed
DAPA-administered; aggressive export posture with financing/offset packages.
Channel: Government-to-government
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Competitive field
87 comparable systems from 24 other manufacturers
Counted in the WeaponSpecs database: munitions built by another manufacturer. A count of what this catalog holds, not a survey of the whole market. See the alternatives →
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 63 km/h |
|---|
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range. | 370 kg |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 6 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 0.48 m |
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
| Round type APFSDS (kinetic sabot), HEAT / multipurpose, HE-FRAG, canister or gun-launched ATGM. | Heavyweight dual-purpose torpedo |
|---|---|
| Fired from Guns or launchers the round is qualified to fire from, by designation. Not a performance figure: it is the compatibility list that decides which platforms can actually use the munition. | Submarine torpedo tubes |
| Projectile mass Mass of the projectile or penetrator assembly. | 1,100 kg |
| Effective range Practical engagement range of the round. | 30,000 m |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $790,000 |
|---|---|
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public LIG Nex1 and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-08-02.
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What is the top speed of the LIG Nex1 K731 White Shark? +
The LIG Nex1 K731 White Shark has a maximum speed of 63 km/h.
How many countries operate the LIG Nex1 K731 White Shark? +
The LIG Nex1 K731 White Shark is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the LIG Nex1 K731 White Shark cost? +
The LIG Nex1 K731 White Shark has an approximate unit cost of 790,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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