South Korea has tested a long-range cruise missile for the fifth-generation KF-21 fighter. The new missile is an analogue of the German TAURUS missile, about 250 units of which have been delivered to the country's air force in previous years.
The test launch was carried out from a Korean-made FA-50 light fighter. In preparation for the tests, the aircraft performed 31 flights during April-June, writes Defence Blog.
The missile is being developed as part of one of the stages of the long-range strike weapons program launched in 2018. The goal of the project is to create a domestic system with characteristics equal to or better than the German Taurus KEPD 350 missile, which is currently used by the South Korean Air Force's F-15K fighters.
In addition, the creation of a new air-to-ground missile is one of the stages of developing the strike weapons of the Korean fifth-generation fighter KF-21. The new development is designed to enhance its capabilities for high-precision strikes on ground targets. The first tests of the aircraft with the Korean missile are planned for 2027.
It is possible that the new missile can also be adapted for combat launches from the FA-50 fighter, which has great export potential. The aircraft in various modifications are already in service with the air forces of Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Iraq and Poland. The latter has ordered 48 aircraft in two modifications – 12 FA-50 fighters (Korean version) and 36 FA-50PL fighters (modernized Polish version).
In the country's air force, the Korean FA-50s will not only replace the Soviet MiG-29 fighters, which Poland is gradually transferring to Ukraine, but will also significantly expand the capabilities of the Polish Air Force.
Recall that in parallel, the US is developing a cheap drone missile, the Viper, which has absorbed the experience of the Russian-Ukrainian war. It will combine the capabilities of the ATACMS and Hellfire missiles, destroying artillery positions, radars, and other priority targets.