Military Preparing 'Ballistic Missile 3-Set' Event [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Current Government Likely to Hold Year-End Event Ahead of Presidential Election to Showcase Autonomous Defense Achievements
President Moon May Attend Test Launch Site to Announce Ballistic Missile Development

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The government is reportedly preparing a major event by the end of this year for the 'three ballistic missile sets' with significantly increased range and warhead weight.

According to a government official on the 15th, "An event is being prepared to signify the completion of the development of the Hyunmoo-4 missile for the self-reliant defense advocated by the current administration," adding, "It could be an event similar to the KF-21 Boramae delivery ceremony held last month."

At the KF-21 delivery ceremony, President Moon Jae-in congratulated the delivery of the prototype of the Korean fighter jet 'KF-21,' saying, "A new era of self-reliant defense has begun." In this context, since the revision of the South Korea-U.S. missile guidelines in 2017 after the Moon administration took office, which removed restrictions on range and warhead weight, this event is intended to celebrate the successful development of more powerful ballistic missiles.

On the 14th, Defense Minister Seo Wook reportedly visited the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (ADD) headquarters in Daejeon and received a report on the development progress of the three ballistic missiles. At that time, the new director Park Jong-seung gave the report alone without attendees, and it was said to contain more detailed plans than when ruling party lawmakers visited on the 7th.

▲ Missile Experts Deployed Forward = Recently, among defense companies, there are even rumors that the missile production company ‘Hanwha Line Co., Ltd.’ has taken over the ADD. This is because all the heads of the organization are experts in surface-to-surface missiles.

Director Park first met President Moon on June 23, 2017. At that time, President Moon visited the Anheung Test Site of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (ADD) in Taean, Chungnam, where the first test launch of the domestically produced Hyunmoo-2 ballistic missile (Hyunmoo-2C) with a range of 800 km was conducted. It is rumored that Park was appointed director after the successful test launch of the Hyunmoo-2 ballistic missile. This shows how closely President Moon’s self-reliant defense is linked to missile development.

There is another missile expert with extensive experience in the Hyunmoo ballistic missile development field. Deputy Director Jeong Jin-kyung, the first female deputy director, is a high-energy expert. It is the first time since the ADD was established in 1970 that a woman has been appointed to the second-in-command position, and even internally, this is considered a surprising appointment.

With all the heads of the organization replaced by missile experts, a large-scale organizational restructuring has also taken place. On April 1, ADD integrated and strengthened the missile research and development organizations, which were divided into three headquarters including the 1st Headquarters, and established the Missile Research Institute.

▲ The Hyunmoo-4 Series = ADD is known to have named the surface-launched surface-to-surface ballistic missile as ‘Hyunmoo 4-1,’ the ship-launched ship-to-surface ballistic missile as ‘Hyunmoo 4-2,’ and the submarine-launched submarine-to-surface ballistic missile (SLBM) as ‘Hyunmoo 4-4,’ depending on the launch location.

Hyunmoo 4-1 has a warhead weight of 2 tons (t), which has at least three times the penetration power compared to the currently strongest GBU-57. It can penetrate more than 24 meters of reinforced concrete and 180 meters of ordinary ground, effectively reaching tactical nuclear-level power. The Hyunmoo 4-2 missile is planned to be mounted on a 30,000-ton class light aircraft carrier, and the Hyunmoo 4-4 missile on the 3,000-ton class submarine Dosan Ahn Changho.

So far, the Navy has equipped ships such as the Korean destroyer (DDH II, 4,400-ton class) with cruise missiles like ‘Haeseong 2’ or ‘Cheonryong,’ and the 214-class submarines with the cruise missile ‘Haeseong 3.’ As the development of Hyunmoo 4-2 and 4-4 nears completion, the Navy has changed the Dosan Ahn Changho’s launchers from horizontal launchers to six vertical launchers to equip SLBMs.

The issue lies with the Hyunmoo 4-4 SLBM. The military has completed ground ejection tests of the SLBM and is planning underwater ejection tests within the year, but concerns are rising that mass production may be delayed due to setbacks in developing key components of the Dosan Ahn Changho submarine.

If the key components of the Dosan Ahn Changho cannot be developed, the plans for the second batch of three 3,600-ton medium submarines and the third batch of three 4,000-ton or larger submarines will also face difficulties. Furthermore, the construction of the 4,000-ton nuclear-powered submarine will become uncertain.