South Korea to deploy homegrown SLBM next year
South Korea's newly developed submarine-launched ballistic missile / Courtesy of Defense Ministry
South Korea plans to deploy a newly unveiled indigenous submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at sea around the second half of next year, sources said Monday.
The country revealed the SLBM last week, announcing its successful test-launch from the 3,000-ton ROK Navy submarine Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, and becoming the world's seventh nation to have proven field operation capabilities of the system.
"Several more tests will be conducted to ensure its reliability. After wrapping up development by early next year, we will begin mass production in the first half of 2022. The missiles will likely then be deployed for actual operations starting in the second half," a government source said.
The country's first 3,000-ton submarine, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, is equipped with six vertical launch tubes, and was accepted into the Navy last month.
Another government source said the military is working to deploy a total of 78 SLBMs in nine such submarines, including the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, in phases in accordance with the country's defense procurement plan.
South Korea is working on a project to build two more 3,000-ton submarines by 2023 and is planning six additional larger vessels that have up to 10 launch tubes, each, according to officials. Last year, the defense ministry unveiled a plan to develop a 4,000-ton next-generation submarine to boost its underwater capabilities.
The SLBM, believed to be a variant of the country's Hyunmoo-2B ballistic missile, has a maximum range of 800 kilometers. During the underwater launch test last week, the missile reportedly flew around 400 kilometers before striking a target.
It will be equipped with conventional warheads, as South Korea is barred from going nuclear, according to officials. The six nations that have SLBM systems ― the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and India ― are all nuclear powers. (Yonhap)