Air Force fires Taurus cruise missile in live drill
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In the top photo, a Republic of Korea Air Force F-15K fighter jet fires a Taurus long-range air-to-surface missile over the West Sea during a live-fire exercise, Tuesday. In the middle photo, the missile flies toward a designated target using its independent navigation system, and hits a target precisely in the bottom photo. / Courtesy of Air Force
By Jun Ji-hye
The South Korean Air Force staged a live-fire drill, Tuesday, successfully launching a Taurus long-range air-to-surface cruise missile from an F-15K fighter jet over the West Sea, the Air Force said Wednesday.
It marked the first-ever live-fire exercise for a Taurus as South Korea is currently on course to deploy 170 such missiles manufactured by the German-Swedish joint venture Taurus Systems.
During the exercise, the F-15K fired the cruise missile, which flew some 400 kilometers before precisely hitting a designated target in the coastal waters off Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.
“By precisely hitting a target, the Air Force displayed its ability of making pinpoint strikes on the enemy’s key facilities,” the Air Force said in a release.
The exercise took place amid repeated missile and nuclear provocations from North Korea. Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear test, Sept. 3, claiming that it successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb that could be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The GPS-guided Taurus KEPD 350K has a range of 500 kilometers, but the Air Force preset the flight distance at 400 kilometers this time in consideration of the safety in the surrounding areas.
The exercise was also designed to test the integration of the F-15K with the German missile and its performance, the Air Force noted, saying that the inert weapon was used during the exercise.
F-15K pilot Lt. Col. Lee Hyun-woo said, “I could confirm the performance of Taurus. The Air Force will immediately and sternly punish the enemy if it conducts provocations.”
The military decided to purchase 170 Taurus missiles for the Air Force’s F-15K fleet in 2013, which cost around 2 billion won ($1.8 million) each. In October, it decided to buy 90 more.
The Taurus missiles can fly at a low altitude without being detected by the North Korean radar using stealth technology. The missiles also have independent navigation systems using different kinds of sensors, which make them resistant to any form of jamming of GPS, according to the manufacturer.
The company noted the missiles can perform deep penetration missions with pinpoint accuracy, making them ideal for taking out hard targets such as underground installations and bridges.
If the missiles are launched above Daejeon, where military headquarters is located, they can hit underground bunkers in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, according to the Air Force.
With such missiles, South Korean pilots are able to hit targets without entering North Korean airspace, the Air Force added.
Military officials said the Taurus missile is one of the core assets in forming the nation’s Kill Chain system, designed to carry out a preemptive strike on the North’s nuclear and missile facilities upon imminent threat. The system is scheduled to be completed by the 2020s.
Some military observers claim that the nation should also import the Taurus KEPD 350K-2, a shorter and lighter version of Taurus KEPD 350K, for the indigenous FA-50 light attack fighters, saying it will enhance the combat capability of the FA-50s.