[Yonhap Photo]
South Korea will embark on mass-production this year of its portable third-generation anti-tank guided missile for infantry units following the successful live-fire test of the home-made weapon that would replace conventional recoilless rifles and TOW missiles.
The Raybolt missile, called Hyungung in Korean, was the latest in a series of missiles developed by South Korea with its own technology. The Defense Ministry said Hyungung developed by LIG Nex 1 passed a quality certification test on May 30 at a shooting range north of Seoul.
"The test opened the way for Hyungung's mass-production for combat use this year," ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told reporters.
Hyungung is South Korea's first home-made guided anti-tank missile that would replace 90mm/106mm recoilless rifles and TOW missiles, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement.
It is good enough to target foreign markets, the state body said, adding the Raybolt is lighter but more powerful and efficient than similar foreign models like Israel's Spike-MR and the Javelin of the United States. "We assess it as better than similar foreign (models) in every way," DAPA said.
The missile boasts highly sensitive seeker and enhanced penetration capability, and employs the "Fire and Forget" function. After launch, the operator can move to other locations immediately. Such feature increases the survivability of an operator.
Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
