Weapons Feared Even by Russia... Simultaneous Development in Both South and North Korea [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Signed to Provide ATACMS to Ukraine by the US
Over 950 Cluster Munitions in One Launch... 3-4 Soccer Fields Devastated

The United States has decided to support Ukraine with long-range tactical ballistic missiles known as ‘ATACMS’. Some speculate that the U.S. secretly sent ATACMS to Ukraine as early as the beginning of last month.

On the 24th (local time), President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion (approximately 130 trillion KRW) overseas security assistance package and announced military support worth $10 billion for Ukraine. This marks the 56th round of support, which will include Stinger surface-to-air missiles, additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), small arms ammunition, 155mm shells, 60mm shells, AT4 anti-armor systems, and anti-tank mines.

(Photo by EPA Yonhap News)

Among these, the most threatening weapon to Russia is the ATACMS. Russia has warned that providing long-range ATACMS crosses a red line. The long-range ATACMS has a range of about 300 km, allowing it to directly strike Russian supply lines, railways, and command headquarters far behind the front lines. This range is nearly twice that of the medium-range ATACMS sent by the U.S. in October last year. The ATACMS travels at Mach 3, measures 4 meters in length and 600 mm in diameter, and contains about 950 submunitions, capable of devastating an area equivalent to 3 to 4 soccer fields with a single missile.

Our Military to Develop KTSSM-II by 2027 to Replace ATACMS

Our military is also developing a weapon to replace the U.S. ATACMS. The ‘Tactical Surface-to-Surface Guided Weapon (KTSSM)-II’ can precisely strike North Korean long-range artillery tunnels and fortified positions from over 300 km away. Approximately 200 billion KRW will be invested by 2027.

Known as the ‘long-range artillery killer,’ the KTSSM-II differs from the KTSSM-I, which operates from fixed positions, by being launched from the mobile launcher (TEL) of the K-239 ‘Cheonmu’ multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), offering superior mobility and survivability. The currently mass-produced KTSSM-I has a 400 mm caliber and a range of 180 km, whereas the KTSSM-II is expected to have a range exceeding 300 km. When launched near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), it can reach as far as the Yalu River. Considering that the Cheonmu MLRS is an artillery weapon system operated at the army corps level, deploying KTSSM-II on Cheonmu vehicles to each corps would significantly extend the artillery range at the corps level. Additionally, once KTSSM-II is introduced, it can replace the role of the existing U.S.-made ATACMS, which uses MLRS TELs and has a 300 km range.

The KTSSM was developed domestically after the November 2010 Yeonpyeong Island shelling to destroy North Korean long-range artillery positions built in underground tunnels. The Type I version features a penetrating thermobaric warhead capable of penetrating several meters underground, making it specialized for targeting tunnel positions. The Type I is currently being deployed to frontline units.

North Korea Also Unveiled KN-24 at Last Year’s Military Parade

North Korea also revealed the ‘North Korean version of ATACMS,’ the KN-24, at last year’s military parade. The KN-24 was displayed mounted on a wheeled mobile launcher. This was the first time a wheeled TEL for the KN-24 was shown. Choosing a wheeled launcher instead of a tracked one reduces production costs, making it easier to produce large numbers of launchers. The KN-24 has undergone test launches twice in August 2019 and once in March 2020. During the 2020 test launch, Kim Jong-un personally observed the event, indicating the high strategic importance of this weapon. Until then, domestic and international experts had assessed that the KN-24 development was not yet complete.

However, the launch intervals have shortened, and flight range and altitude capabilities have gradually improved. The KN-24 uses a single-stage solid-fuel motor and, because it employs a wheeled TEL, it can prepare for missile launch faster than liquid-fueled missiles. The KN-24 TEL vehicle carries two missiles. At the time, the Rodong Sinmun stated, “The verification firing test was conducted to selectively inspect the ‘tactical guided missiles’ currently in production and to verify the accuracy of the weapon system,” implying that the KN-24 has already entered mass production and operational deployment. Experts believe the KN-24 can carry not only conventional warheads but also nuclear warheads.

Like the KN-23, the KN-24 follows a ballistic trajectory immediately after launch but performs a ‘pull-up maneuver’ during the descent phase when it reaches a certain altitude, making it difficult to predict the impact point. This means it is challenging to intercept the KN-24 with anti-missile systems that rely on predicting the missile’s flight path.

A military official analyzed, “It should be considered that North Korea has fully deployed the ‘short-range ballistic missile trio’ KN-23 to KN-25,” adding, “There must have been significant changes in North Korea’s missile operational strategies and tactics.”