[Military Story] Where Domestic Missiles Are Born [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Visit to Anheung Test Site of the Agency for Defense Development
Missile Development Initiated by Former President Park Jeonghee's Directive

Our military did not possess domestically produced missiles even after the Korean War. Former President Park Chung-hee ordered the development of short-range tactical guided missiles during the Ministry of National Defense’s New Year inspection on January 28, 1971. The project name assigned to the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) at the time was a disguised title, “Directive to Establish a Plan for Fostering the Aviation Industry.” A development planning team was formed, consisting of personnel from ADD, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), and instructors from the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies. Seven years later, in September 1978, the guided missile “Baekgom,” launched under the direct supervision of President Park, flew a range of 200 km. It was the world’s seventh ground-to-ground ballistic missile development at the time. The Baekgom missile research continued and eventually evolved into today’s Hyunmoo missile. Some scientists and engineers who participated in the Baekgom missile development later joined the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and contributed to space rocket development. We visited the ADD Anheung Test Site located in Taean-gun, Chungnam, where the first domestically produced missile was born.

Radar measurement equipment obtaining missile trajectory information located at Anheung Test Site. (Photo by ADD)

Remote telemetry equipment checks the missile's ballistic information, attitude information, and internal operating status such as temperature and pressure sent from the missile. (Photo by ADD)

Security was tight from the entrance. The entry procedures for outsiders were strict. Filming equipment required prior approval. Since it was near the seaside, the air was filled with the scent of the sea. Following a seemingly quiet road, only small buildings were visible. Various measurements must be taken during missile development: optical observation visible to the naked eye, telemetry receiving missile information, and radar measurement to obtain missile trajectory data. An ADD official introduced the Anheung Test Site as “the place responsible for guided weapon test launches among the seven national defense test research facilities nationwide” and “the birthplace of domestically produced guided weapons.”

Diverse Missile Tracking Equipment Including Optical Tracking Devices

The optical tracking equipment was mounted on a vehicle. When a missile is launched, it is observed using the optical tracking equipment. High-speed cameras and infrared (IR) cameras were also installed at the missile impact site. Inside the research institute, in a space about 3 pyeong (approximately 9.9 square meters), the missile’s flight process can be observed. Long-range missiles require stage separation tests, and because of the distance, high-speed cameras and infrared cameras are used for observation. Depending on weather conditions, even if stage separation occurs tens of kilometers away, it can still be observed. The high-speed camera shoots at 2000 FPS (frames per second). It can capture the missile’s wing deployment status, which occurs within seconds of launch from the launch pad.

Missiles That Directly Hit and Destroy Are the Trend

The characteristics of missiles can also be observed. Interceptor missiles are divided into proximity fuse type and hit-to-kill type depending on the type of interceptor warhead. The proximity fuse type explodes at a certain distance after the interceptor warhead approaches close to the enemy missile. The explosion destroys the enemy missile with fragments and explosive energy generated by the interceptor warhead. Examples include the older U.S. Patriot (PAC-2) missile and South Korea’s Cheongung (M-SAM). The hit-to-kill type destroys the enemy missile by direct collision with the interceptor warhead. Examples include the newer U.S. Patriot (PAC-3) series, THAAD, Standard-3 (SM-3), and South Korea’s Cheongung-II (M-SAM). Optical tracking equipment is essential to verify whether the missile hits the target according to the designated interception method in the air tens of kilometers away.

Hyunmoo missile launched at Anheung Test Site in 1985 (Photo provided by ADD)

Senior researcher Kim Jin-ho showed a video from the Cheongung test launch and said, “All guided missiles leading the ‘K-Defense Industry’ were born here at the Anheung Test Site,” adding, “The most important aspect during missile test launches is measurement, and performance improvements to increase accuracy also start with measurement.”

Information Such as Attitude and Pressure Transmitted During Missile Flight

We moved to a building equipped for telemetry. On the rooftop of the two-story building was an Automatic Telemetry System (ATS). The ATS consists of a radar inside a radome. The radome is about 3 meters in diameter, housing a tracking antenna with a diameter of 2.4 meters. This radar can receive all information from missiles up to 800 km away. During missile test launches, it checks ballistic data, attitude information, and internal operational status such as temperature and pressure sent from the missile. Sometimes incorrect information may be received from the missile, so the telemetry equipment verifies it again.

Inside, rows of servers about 2 meters tall stood. On a monitor, we watched a test video from 2014 when the multiple launch rocket system “Cheonmu” was developed and fired. As the projectile was launched, a green line extended within a white line. The white line represented the target trajectory. The projectile began flying within this trajectory. The numbers on the monitor moved rapidly, like timing a 100-meter sprint. The projectile flying south rose to an altitude of 40 km after exceeding a range of 20 km. Upon reaching 80 km, the trajectory ended within the designated circle, indicating a hit.

Cheongung was developed to replace the American-made 'HAWK' and was originally called Cheolmae II. A photo capturing the launched missile in continuous shots. (Photo by ADD)

We moved to the highest point at the Anheung Test Site. The West Sea was visible at a glance. Installing ballistic measurement radar at a high location reduces the effect of the earth’s curvature, allowing for longer tracking distances. While military radars focus on detection, the radars at Anheung Test Site focus on tracking. When testing interceptor missiles, tracking tasks are assigned per missile, requiring multiple radars. The radars can test guided weapons for land, sea, and air.

Radar Installed at the Highest Point for Ballistic Missile Measurement

Senior researcher Yoo Seung-oh said, “Overseas test sites conduct tests only once or twice a month at most, but here tests are conducted daily,” adding, “This is because facilities and researchers’ expertise are concentrated here more than at overseas research institutions.”

On the way down from the radar, Anheung Fortress caught our eye. Anheung Fortress is a structure built during the late Joseon Dynasty to defend the West Coast. Due to its high cultural value, it was designated a national historic site (No. 560) in November 2020. An ADD official explained, “The test site built next to Anheung Fortress is not only for West Coast defense but also serves as a cornerstone of national security,” adding, “The K-guided weapons born here will spread worldwide.”