South Korean Anti-Aircraft Missile Explodes In Air After Accidental Launch - Reports

A routine maintenance check at a South Korean air force base in Chuncheon on Monday ended with an anti-aircraft guided missile getting accidentally launched and exploding in midair, local media reported, citing a military official

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2019) A routine maintenance check at a South Korean air force base in Chuncheon on Monday ended with an anti-aircraft guided missile getting accidentally launched and exploding in midair, local media reported, citing a military official.

According to the Yonhap news agency, a Cheongung medium-range surface-to-air missile exploded at around 10:38 a.m. local time (01:38 GMT) some 53 miles northeast of Seoul.

The missile is designed to explode in cases of guidance system failures after launch, the air force's official explained.

The accident caused no casualties or material damage, and a task force has been formed to investigate the cause of the accident, he added.

The Cheongung (KM-SAM) missile, which was designed by South Korea with Russia's technical support, was first tested in a live-firing mission late 2017. The 15-foot-long missile is capable of striking an aircraft at a range of 25 miles and an altitude of up to 10 miles.