South Korea has publicly unveiled a fixed-site launcher for its Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM) for the first time.
The launch facility was showcased during a recent visit by Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo to the missile unit operating the KTSSM, known locally as “Ure,” or “thunder.”
According to a release from the JCS, Adm. Kim inspected operational readiness at the KTSSM unit and a missile and space surveillance unit in central South Korea, emphasizing the importance of maintaining “an overwhelming strike capability” against evolving North Korean long-range artillery threats.
In a statement, the JCS said, “Maintaining operational readiness with 24-hour early warning and overwhelming strike capabilities is key to securing the initiative in operations.” Adm. Kim stressed that “to protect the lives and property of our people in times of crisis, we must maintain thorough operational preparation and realistic training in peacetime, ensuring we respond without hesitation and with decisive strikes to deter enemy provocations.”
The KTSSM, developed to neutralize North Korea’s deeply buried artillery systems, plays a critical role in South Korea’s counter-battery operations.
The missile’s Block I variant is equipped with a 500-kilogram bunker-busting warhead and has a range of up to 180 kilometers. The Block II version extends that reach to 290 kilometers with a conventional fragmentation warhead.
During his visit to the missile and space surveillance unit, Adm. Kim also reviewed the real-time monitoring systems that form part of South Korea’s missile defense architecture.
“This is the starting point of KAMD (Korean Air and Missile Defense),” Kim said, urging personnel to “ensure a 24-hour early warning posture capable of detecting and disseminating information on any enemy missile swiftly.”
The deployment of the KTSSM fixed launcher follows ongoing provocations from North Korea, which maintains a dense concentration of long-range artillery systems positioned to target Seoul.