Launching Military Satellites with Our Own Strength

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Next month, Korea's indigenous launch vehicle 'Nuriho' (KSLV-II) will be launched from Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do. Until now, South Korea has paid overseas companies up to 70 billion won each time it launched a satellite because it lacked launch vehicle technology. However, Hanwha Aerospace has become the seventh in the world to produce and supply the 75-ton class engines for the 1st and 2nd stages and the 7-ton class engine for the 3rd stage of Nuriho, enabling us to launch satellites on our own strength.

If the Nuriho launch succeeds, it is expected to also benefit the ultra-small satellites that our military plans to launch starting next year. The military aims to launch ultra-small satellites to detect North Korea's mobile missile launchers (TELs). The ultra-small satellite system consists of multiple cluster satellites orbiting in low Earth orbit on predetermined paths, capable of identifying abnormal signs in the surveillance area. If the military reconnaissance satellites are developed without setbacks, by the mid-2020s, South Korea is expected to have reconnaissance capabilities to monitor the Korean Peninsula directly 24/7, 365 days a year.

North Korea is known to have significantly increased the number of TELs, which can move and launch new weapons. TELs can hide in tunnels and forests, emerge into open areas to launch missiles, and quickly conceal themselves again. On September 5, 2016, North Korea launched a surprise attack by hiding a Scud-ER (with a maximum range of 1000 km), an upgraded version of the Scud missile, on a TEL inside a tunnel. Military experts believe that if North Korea simultaneously launches multiple Scud missiles mounted on TELs, interception by the U.S. Forces Korea's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) or Patriot (PAC-2 and PAC-3) missile systems would be impossible.

According to a joint report by South Korean and U.S. military authorities, North Korea is estimated to possess up to 900 ballistic missiles, including about 440 Scud missiles. North Korea has 108 mobile launchers (TELs). By missile type, the highest numbers are Scud missiles and TELs capable of carrying Scud missiles. The number of Scud missiles is estimated at up to 430 (with 36 TELs). Following are 27 Musudan missiles (27 TELs), about 330 Nodong missiles (27 TELs), about 100 KN-02 missiles (12 TELs), and a total of 12 KN-08 and KN-14 missiles (6 TELs).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.