South Korea has successfully tested a counter missile system for military aircraft to help dodge enemies' portable surface-to-air missiles, a state-run defense research agency said Wednesday.

The directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system enables aircraft to dodge missiles by emitting a laser beam to the ground, blinding missiles that rely on heat to track targets.

The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) said it carried out an initial operational test and evaluation on helicopters under cooperation with Hanwha System from 2020-2021.

"The system is significant that it has drastically shortened the response time, enabling aircraft to guard against portable surface-to-air missiles from a close range," ADD said in a statement.

The system can also be applied to larger aircraft, when enhanced with stronger laser output, it added. (Yonhap)