South Korean Government Officials Say Agency For Defense Development Pushes To Finish 800-Kilometer Range Ballistic Missiles By 2017
Officials from the South Korean government reveal on Oct. 1 that the country aims to finish the development of 800-kilometer range ballistic missiles by year 2017, which will be deployed targeting its rival, North Korea, Yonhap news agency reported on the same day.
"The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) has proposed the year 2017 as the time frame for the extension of its ballistic missiles' range in a five-year development plan," says an official from the South Korean government, noting "the defense development agency's road map under the Park Geun Hye administration."
"Currently, we have developed ballistic missiles with a range of up to 500-km, and the plan means extending the range to 800-km," another government official reveals, as noted by Korea Herald on the same day. "We are aiming to deploy the missile with an 800-km range by 2017."
Another official also says that the 800-kilometer range ballistic missiles will be deployed "for combat posture."
A five-year development plan to expand the range of the country's indigenous ballistic missiles from 300-kilometer to 800-kilometer was submitted to South Korean president Park Geun Hye in February 2013 by the ADD.
June this year, the South Korean military test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile named Hyunmoo-2B that has a range of 500 kilometers. The launch of 500-kilometer ballistic missile that was held on the country's west coast was witnessed by President Park.
"The test demonstrated improved ballistic missile capability that can strike all parts of North Korea swiftly, and with precision, in the event of armed aggression or provocation," the Blue House says in a dispatch.
The development plan to extend the range of the country's ballistic missiles came after the US and South Korea agreed to revise bilateral missile guidelines in October 2012. South Korea agreed on the ballistic missile guidelines in 1979 that was amended in 2001.
In addition, reports reveal that these ballistic missiles are part of the Kill Chain and the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) systems.