By Kang Seung-woo
The military failed to test-fire Taurus cruise missiles for its F-15K fighter jets before signing a $450 million contract in 2013 to purchase the missiles, a lawmaker claimed Monday.
According to Rep. Kim Kwang-jin of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration bought some 180 Taurus long-range cruise missiles from German-Swedish joint venture Taurus Systems in November 2013.
The military sought to enhance the Air Force’s deep precision strike capability amid growing threats from North Korea through the 532-billion-won contract.
However, the arms procurement agency skipped a test-firing that is required under arms procurement regulations, the lawmaker said.
The Taurus is the first European strategic missile to be carried on a Korean fighter aircraft. The Air Force plans to finish integrating the missiles onto its F-15K Slam Eagles by 2017.
In response, DAPAS' said the Taurus missiles had already been operating in other countries, including Germany, and it also met DAPAS’ required operational capability, so it did not test-fire it.
It added that the Air Force would hold a live-fire drill after the missiles were loaded on to the aircraft.
However, the opposition lawmaker said overseas cases were different from requirements in Korea.
“In Germany and Spain, the Taurus missiles are fitted to F-18s and Tornados and the F-15 has never carried the weapon,” Kim said.
“It is a dangerous thought that the military believes one live fire will be enough for a fighter jet to carry a missile it has never tested before.”
Kim, who belongs to the Assembly’s National Defense Committee, said the military should test-fire the missiles with the extra budget before they enter service.
“The military should not deal with an arms deal worth more than 500 billion won as if it was just buying a car,” Kim said.
Launched far from an enemy threat, the GPS-guided standoff missiles, with a range of 500 kilometers, can hit strategic targets such as North Korean nuclear and missile bases with great precision.
In addition, the missile can perform deep penetration missions with pinpoint accuracy, making it ideal for taking out hard targets such as underground installations and bridges.
Initially, Seoul wanted to purchase the U.S.-made JASSM, but Washington refused to sell the weapon, made by Lockheed Martin, because it is classified as a strategic weapon.