Establishment of Missile Research Institute to Develop Monster Missile Hyunmoo-4

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[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The Agency for Defense Development (ADD), regarded as the cradle of South Korean military weapon system development, has reorganized its structure into a 'three-pillar system' by establishing a Missile Research Institute. This is expected to accelerate the development of the so-called tactical nuclear-level monster missile, 'Hyunmoo-4.'

On the 21st, ADD announced that it has completed the reorganization into a research-centered organization for advanced defense science and technology development. The reorganization formed a three-pillar system including the newly established Missile Research Institute in April, the Defense Advanced Science and Technology Research Institute, and the Defense Test Research Institute. Each research and development department was reorganized into technology centers.

The Missile Research Institute is expected to focus on follow-up measures after the South Korea-U.S. summit in May lifted the South Korean missile range limit of 800 km.

President Moon Jae-in also virtually confirmed the successful launch of a new ballistic missile during his visit to the Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon last July. After inspecting advanced weapons, President Moon said, "Because this is a security matter, I cannot speak freely in front of cameras, but I congratulate the success of the ballistic missile equipped with one of the world's highest-level warhead weights."

Although he did not specify, it is believed he was referring to the 'Hyunmoo-4,' known as a tactical nuclear-level monster missile. The Hyunmoo-4 is estimated to have a range of 800 km and a warhead weight of 2 tons. In mid-March, ADD conducted the first test launch of the Hyunmoo-4 ballistic missile at the Anheung Test Site in Taean County, Chungnam Province, with Kim You-geun, the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office at the Blue House, participating, but the launch failed. However, after three months of testing and evaluation, the development is reported to have entered its final stage.

Recently, ADD has developed the Hyunmoo 4-1 missile with a warhead weight increase to 2 tons (range over 800 km), the ship-launched surface-to-surface ballistic missile (Hyunmoo 4-2), and the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM, Hyunmoo 4-4).

The military expects that if the Hyunmoo-4 receives combat suitability certification within this year and mass production begins next year, it will possess power comparable to tactical nuclear weapons. A warhead weight of 500 kg is sufficient to destroy an airfield runway, but with the warhead weight increased to 2 tons, it will have at least three times the penetration power compared to the currently strongest bunker buster, the GBU-57. It can penetrate reinforced concrete over 24 meters thick and general ground up to 180 meters, effectively possessing tactical nuclear-level power.

Since 2018, ADD has been developing ground-launched hypersonic vehicles exceeding Mach 5 and is reported to complete flight tests by 2023. If a Mach 5 hypersonic missile is launched over South Korean airspace, it can reach major North Korean targets within two minutes.

The Defense Advanced Science and Technology Research Institute plans to focus on proactively securing advanced defense new technologies and foundational defense technologies that will transform the paradigm of future battlefields. To this end, ADD explained that it will expand opportunities for defense research projects involving industry, academia, and research institutes, and transfer mature technologies to technology centers by incubating civilian-led technologies.

The Defense Test Research Institute is responsible for testing developed weapon systems. In addition, ADD has established technology centers in fields such as defense space, defense artificial intelligence, radar, electronic warfare, chemical-biological (Chem-Bio), energy, and cyber. Among these, the Defense Space Technology Center was newly established amid rising public expectations for the development of defense space capabilities following the lifting of missile guidelines. It is expected to focus on weapon system development related to building defense space power. Currently, it is developing reconnaissance imaging radar satellites, infrared cameras, satellite control, and reception processing systems.

ADD stated, "As a central institution elevating defense science and technology in the space sector, we plan to concentrate research capabilities on short-term achievements in satellite and launch vehicle fields going forward."

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