"Not Missing a Single Step" North Korean Missile 'One Shot One Kill' Air Defense Battery [Military Story]

On-site Coverage of Air Force Missile Defense Brigade Anti-Aircraft Battery
Deploying Cheongung to Achieve 100% Defense Against North Korean Missiles

Our military previously operated the medium-range surface-to-air guided missiles ‘Hawk’ and ‘Nike,’ used by the U.S. Army in the 1950s. At that time, they were the only air defense weapons available. Performance upgrades were made twice starting in 1984. However, these were insufficient to stop North Korea’s missiles. Therefore, from 1998, development of domestic air defense weapons began. This led to the Korean medium-range surface-to-air guided missile ‘Cheongung.’ There was strong opposition as well. Only countries like the U.S., Russia, France, Japan, and Israel?which was developing the ballistic missile defense system ‘Arrow’?had developed medium- to long-range surface-to-air guided missiles. We succeeded in development and deployed Cheongung in the military from 2015. We visited the 2nd Missile Defense Brigade of the Air Force Missile Defense Command, where Cheongung, the core of the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system, is deployed.

The Navy's East Sea 1st Fleet is conducting training for maneuver exercises to relocate to a mobile base if the unit's position is exposed to the enemy. (Photo by Air Force)

To see the air defense battery under the Air Force Missile Defense Brigade, we went to the Navy’s East Sea 1st Fleet. It was not the usual location where the air defense battery is stationed. If the unit’s location is exposed to the enemy, it must move to a mobile position, and this was a mobile training exercise in preparation for such a situation. Passing by the destroyer Busan (FF-959) docked at the harbor, the air defense battery came into view. One Cheongung battery consists of a fire control center, multifunction radar, and launchers, all standing side by side like one family. A military official said, “Welcome to the One Shot One Kill unit,” and said they would show the process of intercepting an enemy missile. Suddenly, a loud siren sounded. The words “Headquarters training alert” pierced the eardrums. This training assumed a scenario where the air defense battery, positioned at a mobile site, intercepts North Korean missiles flying over the East Sea.

One Cheongung battery consists of a fire control center, a multifunction radar, and a launcher. (Photo by Air Force)

The Air Force Missile Defense Command's 'Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) Operations Center' in Osan, Gyeonggi-do, serves as the control tower. (Photo by the Air Force)

The Air Force missile interception system is systematic. The Air Force Missile Defense Command’s ‘Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) Operations Center’ in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, acts as the control tower. When North Korea launches a missile, the KAMD Operations Center analyzes flight speed, altitude, flight direction, and predicted impact area. It also integrates information from the ground-based Green Pine ballistic missile radar, the Navy’s Aegis ship’s SPY-1D radar, and U.S. reconnaissance satellites. The KAMD Operations Center relays the analyzed information to the battalion operations control center (ICC) under the brigade. The ICC transmits information in real time to the air defense battery’s engagement control station (ECS).

Multifunction Radar Detects Both Missiles and Aircraft

The soldiers in the air defense battery’s fire control team moved busily with the siren sound. A simulated missile fired by North Korea was speeding toward them. Fire control team members ran to the engagement control station, and launcher crew ran to the missile launcher vehicles.

The multifunction radar rotated continuously at three-second intervals. In mountainous terrain, the radar is installed at the highest point. However, the East Sea 1st Fleet position is flat, so the radar stood alongside the launchers. The radar uses a dual-mode method to track ballistic missile and aircraft trajectories. It can detect ballistic missiles flying at high speed in a specific direction, as well as cruise missiles flying at low altitude and low speed, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The military did not disclose radar detection performance as it is classified. However, based on detection specifications of similar X-band radars, ballistic missiles are estimated to be detected at about 80 km, and aircraft at about 150 km.

Launcher Equipped with 8 Interceptor Missiles

The launcher crew stood by the launchers equipped with eight launch tubes. Two launchers were deployed that day, totaling 16 interceptor missiles when fully loaded. Next to the launchers, soldiers moved incessantly with commands such as “Connect firing cable!” “Confirm cable connection!” and “Check power supply!” The launcher and control station consume a lot of electricity, so generator vehicles accompany them. Despite the loud noise of the generators, the soldiers continued to chant loudly. If instructions are miscommunicated, the launch time could be delayed by a few seconds. Once remote missile launch capability was enabled, the soldiers ran outside the danger zone. Air defense battery soldiers conduct such training dozens of times a day. They also regularly train with higher units to coordinate. To operate the launcher, several switches must be turned on to check equipment status, and this is done to reduce even a few seconds of time.

Battery Commander Major Hwang Geun-seon said, “The reason the air defense battery trains by changing locations is to ensure interception capability anytime and anywhere and to guarantee base survivability,” adding, “Repeated training is important to achieve 100% interception under any conditions, day or night.”