Supersonic missile planned for Navy

South Korea plans to deploy a short-range supersonic guided missile as early as next year that can be launched from a destroyer to attack ground targets, a source said yesterday.

“The missile could be developed and deployed in a year or two so that ships can hit land facilities and support ground troops in the event of a conflict,” the source said, declining to be named.

“The deployment could add pressure on North Korean forces near the Northern Limit Line,” which has served as a de facto maritime border between the divided Koreas after their three-year war ended in a truce in 1953, the source said.

The missile will likely be made with a range of 50 kilometers (31 miles) first, the source said, adding the distance will be extended over the course of further development.

“Study is underway to determine whether the missile should be indigenously developed or purchased from overseas,” the source said. “The decision will be made as early as next month.”

South Korean destroyers, including the country’s only Aegis combat ship, carry anti-vessel guided missiles with a range of 150 kilometers, which could be the prototype for the planned new missile, according to the source.

Yonhap