South Korea's military is expected to deploy long-range version of Israeli precision-guided missiles in mid-2012 to a border island shelled by North Korea last November, a government source said Monday.
The planned deployment of the satellite-guided "Spike" missile is part of the South's measures to bolster troops and weaponry on Yeonpyeong Island. Four South Koreans, including two civilians, were killed in the North's Nov. 23 shelling of Yeonpyeong.
"The military is hoping to purchase some 50 Spike missiles equipped with a global positioning system," the source said on the condition of anonymity, referring to the fifth generation of the weapon that is presently under development.
The fourth-generation Spike NLOS (Non Line Of Sight) missile can hit a target with automatic self-guidance systems led by an imaging infrared seeker. But the South's military seeks to deploy the fifth-generation model guided by the GPS technology, according to the source.
"Given the development process of the fifth-generation Spike missile, our military could secure it in the middle of next year," the source said.
Developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense System, the Spike missile is believed to be capable of neutralizing North Korea's artillery pieces hidden in mountain caves along the tense Yellow Sea border.
The Spike NLOS, which costs $300,000 per unit, has a range of 25 kilometers. Yeonpyeong Island is just 11km from North Korean shores.
Since the shelling, South Korea's military has deployed additional troops and high-tech weaponry, such as artillery-detecting radar, bunker-busting bombs and precision air-to-ground missiles, to Yeonpyeong and other Yellow Sea border islands. (Yonhap)