South Korea To Put New Homegrown SLBM Into Service In 2nd Half Of 2022 - Reports

SEOUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2021) South Korea intends to commission its recently unveiled homegrown submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) around the second half of the next year, the Yonhap news agency reported on Monday, citing sources.

Last week, the Asian country successfully tested its new SLBM at a testing ground of the South Korean national agency for defense research and development. President Moon Jae-in, who attended the event, said that the ballistic missile would serve as a deterrence against North Korean provocations. The weapon was presented as Pyongyang conducted tests of two cruise missiles fired towards the Sea of Japan.

"Several more rounds of tests will be conducted to ensure its reliability.

After wrapping up development by early next year, we will begin mass production in the first half of 2022. The missiles will likely then be deployed for actual operations starting in the second half," a government source told the news agency.

Another source cited by the agency was quoted as saying that the military was working to gradually deploy a total of 78 missiles to nine mid-class submarines, including the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, the country's first 3,000-ton-class submarine put in service last month.

The news agency added that the new SLBM would be equipped with conventional warheads, not nuclear ones, as South Korea is barred from having nuclear weapons.