Kathrine Frich
It boasts the capability to penetrate more than 100 meters (328 feet) of reinforced concrete.
South Korea has unveiled its latest version of the Hyunmoo-V missile, a cutting-edge ballistic weapon designed specifically to target deeply buried bunkers and missile silos in North Korea.
No Nuclear Warhead
Despite not being equipped with a nuclear warhead, the Hyunmoo-V missile presents a formidable threat due to its advanced capabilities and unique design.
Given the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region, South Korea has prioritized maintaining a robust military force and an innovative defense industry.
The Hyunmoo missile family, in particular, has emerged as a symbol of this strategy, developed to penetrate the fortified underground complexes of North Korea, which are estimated to number around 7,000.
The new variant of the Hyunmoo-V missile is reported to carry a warhead weighing between 8 and 9 tons (17,600 to 19,800 pounds).
Penetrate 328 Feet of Reinforced Concrete,
The Hyunmoo-V missile is a two-stage system weighing approximately 36 tons (79,200 pounds), with a range that extends from 300 km (186 miles) to potentially 3,000 km (1,864 miles) when using a lighter warhead.
It boasts the capability to penetrate more than 100 meters (328 feet) of reinforced concrete, making it a game-changer in the region’s military balance. Its high attack speed, reaching around Mach 10, combined with a heavily fortified warhead, enhances its destructive potential.
To maximize its effectiveness, the Hyunmoo-V is designed to be launched from both mobile ground platforms and naval vessels. South Korea plans to have over 200 units of the Hyunmoo-V in its arsenal, reinforcing its deterrence strategy against North Korea’s military ambitions.