[Exclusive] Hypersonic Missiles to Be Mounted on Korean-Style Fighter Jets

Domestic supersonic air-to-ship missile for KFX to be developed by the Agency for Defense Development. Photo by Agency for Defense Development

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] North Korea has claimed success in developing a hypersonic missile with a maximum speed of Mach 10, raising concerns about the military imbalance between the South and the North. In response, the South Korean military is accelerating the development of hypersonic missiles. Hypersonic missiles are called ‘game changers’ because they are harder to detect and intercept than conventional ballistic missiles, potentially altering the course of warfare. Only three countries?the U.S., China, and Russia?have successfully launched such missiles.

On the 13th, a government official said, "We have requested the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a hypersonic missile to be equipped on the Korean fighter jet KF-21 Boramae, and development is expected to begin as early as this year." The request to the Joint Chiefs of Staff marks the official first step in weapon development.

The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) concluded from last year’s preliminary conceptual research that considering domestic technological capabilities and the KF-21’s weapon payload capacity, it is feasible to develop a hypersonic missile with a range of over 500 km and a speed exceeding Mach 5. Accordingly, ADD plans to develop a ground-launched hypersonic vehicle and complete flight tests by next year. Based on this vehicle, if a hypersonic missile is launched over Seoul, it can reach Pyongyang, 250 km away, in 1 minute and 15 seconds.

ADD also plans to develop a supersonic air-to-ship missile with a maximum speed of Mach 2 to 3 to be equipped on the KF-21. The Joint Chiefs of Staff decided in February 2019 at the 326th Joint Chiefs Meeting to develop and equip a supersonic air-to-ship missile on the KF-21.

The military plans to equip the KF-21 with two types of air-to-air missiles, nine types of air-to-ground bombs, and one type of air-to-ground missile. Adding hypersonic and supersonic missiles is expected to enable precise ‘pinpoint strikes.’