South Korea will launch a project next month to develop a homegrown naval interception system designed to protect warships from hostile aircraft and missiles, the state arms procurement agency said Friday.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the project aims to develop the Close In Weapon System-II (CIWS-II) -- a ship-based gun capable of countering incoming attacks in the final stage of the Navy's multilayered interception program -- by 2027.

The Navy currently employs final-stage interception systems imported from the United States and the Netherlands.

The CIWS-II project will use domestically developed technologies to counter various types of threats, such as those from hostile sea skimming missiles and infiltrating high-speed boats, DAPA said.

Once developed, the system will be mounted on major naval ships, including destroyers currently in development under the Korean Destroyer Next Generation project. (Yonhap)