south korea displays "monster" missile for first time
2024-10-05
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on october 1, the military parade marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of the korean army was held at the seoul airport in seongnam, gyeonggi province, south korea. in order to demonstrate its so-called "powerful military power," south korea not only dispatched more than 5,000 officers and soldiers to participate, including "hyunwu" series missiles, kf-21 fighter jets, p-8a "poseidon" anti-submarine patrol aircraft, l-sam air defense and anti-missile systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles. hundreds of weapons and equipment, including humans and machines, were also unveiled, but the most eye-catching weapon was the "hyunmoo-5" ballistic missile that was publicly displayed to the outside world for the first time, which attracted the outside world's attention to the development of south korea's new ballistic missile.
another new breakthrough in south korea’s missile technology
south korea's "hyunmoo-5" missile, which was publicly displayed for the first time at this military parade, attracted attention and discussion from the outside world. in fact, the missile did not become known to the outside world because of this military parade. in october 2022, the south korean ministry of national defense released a video of the launch of the "hyunmoo-5" missile and briefly introduced its performance.
according to south korean media reports, the "hyunmoo-5" missile engine has a thrust of 75 tons, the missile weighs more than 30 tons, and the maximum flight speed is 10 times the speed of sound. when carrying an 8-ton warhead, the range is 300 kilometers. when the warhead weight is reduced to 1 ton time, the range can reach 5,000 kilometers.
the "xuanmoo-5" missile uses a 9-axis (18-wheel) launch vehicle, which is similar in size to the chassis used by many road-mobile intercontinental missiles. this also reflects the missile's great potential for range upgrades.
such a range is a veritable medium-range ballistic missile, which means that the "hyunmoo-5" missile can not only cover the entire korean peninsula, but also many areas in northeast asia are within the range of the missile. it also shows that the missile is far more than the south korean military. it is as simple as saying that it is mainly used to deal with the north korean threat.
the "hyunmoo-5" missile has a warhead weighing 8 tons. it is not only powerful in damaging, relying on huge kinetic energy, it can also hit military targets tens of meters deep underground, exceeding the probability of north korea's first successful test launch on july 1 this year. the "mars cannon-11c-4.5" new tactical ballistic missile carrying a 4.5-ton heavy warhead can be called the heaviest conventional ballistic missile in the world.
according to previous statements by the south korean military, south korea’s continuous pursuit of super-heavy warheads aims to improve the missile’s damage capabilities and “earth-penetrating” capabilities, and effectively enhance the strike effect against large enemy military bases and underground military targets. it is believed that as long as multiple "hyunmoo-5" missiles are launched at the same time, even if they carry conventional warheads, they can produce damage capabilities comparable to small nuclear weapons. therefore, the "hyunmoo-5" missile has been dubbed a "monster missile" by some south korean media.
it is not difficult to see from this that the primary combat mission of the "xuanwu-5" missile is likely to be at the beginning of the war, used to target high-value military targets such as the enemy's large ammunition depots, weapons and equipment assembly areas, missile launch bases, and underground command posts. target to strike. for south korea, the "hyunmoo-5" missile is another new breakthrough in the development of its own ballistic missile technology.
in addition, the "xuanwu-5" missile is different from the current "xuanwu" series ballistic missiles in box launch and thermal launch methods. this missile adopts the "cold launch" method and is installed on a nine-axis (18-wheel) mobile launch vehicle (tel). ), a hydraulic device is used to vertically erect the launch tube containing the missile before launch. the gas generated by the combustion of the solid gas generator pushes the missile out of the launch tube. after the missile reaches a certain height, the rocket engine is started to complete the launch.
the south korean military stated that the number of axles of the mobile launch vehicle (tel) of the "hyunmoo-5" missile has been increased from 5 axes (10 wheels) of the "hyunmoo-4" missile to 9 axes (18 wheels) in order to offset the launch the "cold launch" method not only has less impact on the missile launch tube and launch vehicle, but also causes less damage to the equipment.
the "xuanwu-5" missile uses a launch tube supported by three adjustable brackets at the tail and equipped with multiple reinforcement ribs, indicating that the missile only has the ability to rely on launch. it must be erected at a preset launch site with complete measurement and control launch positioning points and pre-concrete reinforcement before it can be launched. although this launch method has better flexibility and maneuverability than underground silo launches, it also limits the missile's ability to "stop and launch at any time" in the field.
some south korean military sources said that the "hyunmoo-5" missile has completed its development work since its test launch in 2023 and has now begun mass production. the advent of the "hyunmoo-5" missile shows that south korea is seeking breakthroughs in range, penetration capability, strike accuracy and damage capabilities on the basis of having a relatively complete offensive missile force. at the same time, the accelerated development of ballistic missiles in south korea is an important manifestation of the rapid advancement of the construction of the "south korean-type three-axis combat system", namely the "kill chain" system and the "south korean-type missile defense" proposed by the south korean ministry of national defense in 2016 to deal with north korea's nuclear threat. system” and “massive punitive retaliation plan.” the "hyunmoo-5" missile is one of the core weapons in the "south korean three-axis combat system" for large-scale preemptive strikes or "large-scale punishment and retaliation plans."
the "xuanwu-5" missile drove past the viewing platform.
the "xuanwu" strike system is taking shape
"hyunmoo" is the collective name for the ballistic missiles independently developed by south korea. it is the product of extensive cooperation between the south korea national defense research institute and hanwha corporation, the main manufacturer of missiles.
at present, the "xuanwu" series ballistic missiles have developed multiple models, including the short-range ballistic missile "xuanwu-1" (retired), the short-range ballistic missile "xuanwu-2" a/b/c, and the "xuanwu-2c" short-range ballistic missile "xuanwu-4" series missiles improved from the missiles and the latest "xuanwu-5" missile.
the development of the "hyunmoo" series of ballistic missiles was carried out under the relaxation of u.s. restrictions on south korea's ballistic missile technology. in order to restrict the development of south korea's ballistic missile technology, the united states signed the "south korea-us missile guidelines" with south korea in 1979, which limited the range of south korea's missiles to 180 kilometers. since the signing of this document, it has been revised four times, continuously relaxing restrictions on south korea's missile range and warhead weight. on may 21, 2021, south korea and the united states agreed to terminate the "south korea-us missile guidelines", which means that the united states has completely relaxed relevant restrictions on south korea's missile development.
in addition, the ever-tense security situation on the korean peninsula has also prompted south korea to continuously strengthen its military power. in the development process of the "xuanwu" series of ballistic missiles, north korea's military threat was an important driving factor. these changes allowed south korea to develop missile technology more freely, thus accelerating the formation of the "hyunwu" strike system.
thanks to its own technological development and u.s. licensing, the "hyunmoo-2c" missile currently equipped by south korea has a maximum range of 800 kilometers; the "hyunmoo-4" ballistic missile has a maximum range of 800 kilometers. especially after south korea launched the "hyunmoo-2c" after 2017, although the "xuanwu-4" missile developed on the basis of the missile still has a range of only 800 kilometers, the weight of the warhead has been increased to 2 tons, and its ability to damage military targets has been greatly improved.
comparison chart between "xuanwu-2b" missile and "xuanwu-2c" missile.
judging from south korea's use of "hyunmoo" missiles, the existing "hyunmoo-2" series missiles and "hyunmoo-4" series missiles will together with the "hyunmoo-5" missiles form south korea's "killer" weapons, forming a medium- and short-range strike ability.
hanwha corporation, the manufacturer of the "hyunmoo-5" missile, stated that it will begin formal production of the "hyunmoo-5" missile this year and is expected to produce more than 70 missiles per year. in order to further enhance military strike capabilities, the south korean national defense research institute is currently developing weapons including advanced surface-to-surface missiles, hypersonic missiles, electromagnetic pulse bombs, etc., which can be deployed together with the "hyunmoo-5" missile in the future. ensure overwhelming superiority over the enemy in wartime.
the "hyunmoo-5" missile launch image released by the south korean military.
in the author's opinion, the "hyunmoo-5" missile can reach a range of 5,000 kilometers by replacing it with a lighter warhead, reaching the level of long-range ballistic missiles. however, this is not the end of the development of south korea's ballistic missile technology. south korea is likely to continue with the technical support of the united states, we can develop ballistic missiles with longer range and greater power. after all, south korea currently has the ability to use launch vehicles to send satellites into space. it does not exist to develop long-range ballistic missiles or intercontinental ballistic missiles with slightly modified technology. big technical difficulties. as a result, neighboring countries need to be more vigilant and take corresponding countermeasures.
although the "hyunmoo" series of ballistic missiles occupy an important position in south korea's military power, and the "south korea-us missile guidelines" signed by the united states and south korea have also been terminated, south korea, which has long been politically obedient to the united states in terms of missile technology development, is bound to develop technologies such as " the united states will be consulted when developing new weapons such as the hyunmoo-5 missile. at the same time, south korea, which has not yet obtained "wartime command authority," will also be restricted by the united states in its wartime use of missiles, including how it will be used in wartime or to what extent south korea is allowed to use it.
