An image supplied by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on June 25 shows a FA-50 jet outfitted with an advanced long-range air-to-ground missile currently in development. [NEWS1]
Officials announced on Wednesday that the state’s weapons acquisition agency had successfully carried out a secure detachment trial for a domestically developed long-range air-to-ground precision-guided missile currently in progress.
The test, which is aimed at verifying whether the missile clearly detaches from the aircraft without affecting its safety and functions, took place at an Air Force unit on Monday, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
DAPA intends to carry out multiple tests of the missile utilizing a test FA-50 aircraft prior to validating the missile on a KF-21 prototype beginning in 2027, according to the statement.
Starting from 2018, South Korea has aimed to develop long-range guided missiles for incorporation into the KF-21 with the objective of conducting precise attacks on vital adversary locations.
DAPA stated that the most recent test represented a significant milestone for the project and anticipated that the guided missiles would be exported along with the KF-21 to enhance weapons sales.
Yonhap