LX Pantos said Tuesday it had successfully completed a high-security defense logistics project to transport air-to-air missiles from France to South Korea for the latter's military's domestically developed amphibious attack helicopter program.

The company said it carried out the project at the request of Korea Aerospace Industries, which is developing the amphibious attack helicopter under a defense acquisition program led by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

The air-to-air missiles, manufactured by a European defense company, were transported from Chateauroux Airport in France to Incheon International Airport on a chartered aircraft operated by LX Pantos. The weapons were then transported by land to a Marine Corps unit in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province.

Only the missile shipment was loaded onto the aircraft to maximize safety and security. For the project, LX Pantos secured overflight approvals from 14 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Asia while coordinating complex international transportation procedures.

LX Pantos entered the defense logistics market after receiving an "excellent" rating in a security assessment conducted by Korea's Defense Counterintelligence Command in 2024. The logistics firm has also obtained the highest rating under the Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global defense logistics market was valued at $182.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 7.3 percent to reach $344.4 billion by 2034.

"We successfully completed a highly complex defense logistics project requiring advanced safety and security management capabilities as well as specialized logistics expertise," an LX Pantos official said.

"We will continue to support leading Korean defense companies and expand our role as a logistics partner to the country's defense industry."

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)