South Korea’s homegrown KF-21 fighter jet takes off during its first test flight from the Air Force’s 3rd Flying Training Wing base in Sacheon, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, on July 19, 2022, in this photo provided by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will embark on a 190 billion-won (US$146 million) project Monday to locally develop a long-range air-to-ground guided missile by 2028, the state arms procurement agency said.
The missile, which will be the country’s first domestically developed air-launched one, is to be fitted onto the homegrown KF-21 fighter jet under development, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
The missile, if developed, will serve as a core asset for South Korea’s three-axis deterrence system consisting of three elements for air defense, crisis-period preemptive strikes and a plan to target an adversarial leadership in a conflict, DAPA said.
The development of air-launched guided missiles had been an uncharted territory for the country due to a lack of technologies, such as those for safely mounting missiles on aircraft and separating them for use.
But research from 2019-2021 has confirmed the feasibility of the development project, according to DAPA.
The state-run Agency for Defense Development will lead the missile development project, while a series of local firms, such as LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Aerospace, will participate in the production of a missile prototype, officials said.
(Yonhap)
