Article Posted on : - Sep 28, 2011

The Haeseong I anti-ship missile. A Korea Times photo

SEOUL (BNS): South Korea is developing a new supersonic cruise missile to strengthen its defence capabilities against North Korea’s missile and nuclear threats, according to a media report.

The new missile, named Haeseong II, is being developed as an advanced version of the Haeseong I anti-ship missiles which are deployed on the ROK Navy’s KDX-II and Aegis-equipped KDX-III destroyers.

“The Haeseong II is a ship-to-surface cruise missile, designed to strike ground targets,” a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was quoted as saying by the Korea Times newspaper.

“Korea has been independently developing it without technology transfer from the United States, but has been closely consulting with Washington in accordance with the New Missile Guidelines (NMG) agreed between the two allies,” the official, who serves as a liaison between the US and Korean governments over missile development, added.

While the Haeseong I missile has a range of 150 kms, the Haeseong II will have a range of over 500 kms. It would be deployed around 2013 when the development of vertical and slant launch systems will be completed, the news report said quoting an informed source.

According to a Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) official, the supersonic cruise missile would fly faster than Mach 1. It would be able to evade North Korea’s defence systems and strike the enemy launch pads with high accuracy.

Korea, however, will not export the new weapon as it is a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the defence ministry official said.