South Korea LIG Nex1
K745 Blue Shark
South Korea's indigenous lightweight anti-submarine torpedo, launched from surface ships, aircraft and helicopters, and also carried as the payload of the rocket-boosted K745A1 Red Shark. In Republic of Korea Navy service since 2005; LIG Nex1 is developing a longer-range 'Lightweight Torpedo-II' successor targeting completion around 2029.
1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗
💲 ≈ $1,000,000 (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. | 83 km/h |
|---|
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire. | Active acoustic homing, Passive acoustic homing |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 2.7 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 0.32 m |
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
| Round type APFSDS (kinetic sabot), HEAT / multipurpose, HE-FRAG, canister or gun-launched ATGM. | Lightweight anti-submarine 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. | Surface ship torpedo tubes, ASW helicopters, Maritime patrol aircraft |
| Projectile mass Mass of the projectile or penetrator assembly. | 280 kg |
| Effective range Practical engagement range of the round. | 19,000 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. | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|
| 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 K745 Blue Shark? +
The LIG Nex1 K745 Blue Shark has a maximum speed of 83 km/h.
How many countries operate the LIG Nex1 K745 Blue Shark? +
The LIG Nex1 K745 Blue Shark is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the LIG Nex1 K745 Blue Shark cost? +
The LIG Nex1 K745 Blue Shark has an approximate unit cost of 1,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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