South Korea Approves Development of New AShM

South Korea has approved a development and procurement strategy for the new Ship-to-Ship Missile-II anti-ship missile (AShM).

The decision was made during a meeting of the Defense Project Promotion Committee, Naval News reports.

The missile development program is scheduled to run from 2028 to 2039, with a total budget estimated at $1.1 billion. Development is planned for 2028–2033, with mass production set to begin in 2034. The main platforms for the missile will be the future KDDX Batch-I and Batch-II destroyers.

The project’s main goal is to double the engagement range against surface targets compared with the standard Haeseong (SSM-700K C-Star) AShM, which has a range of 150–180 km. The new subsonic missile is expected to have an operational range of approximately 300–360 km.

The missile will feature a low-observable airframe and a turbofan engine instead of the turbojet engine used on Haeseong missiles.

The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) will serve as the lead developer, while South Korean defense companies will be involved in producing prototypes.

The increase in the missile’s range is a response to the growing threat from neighboring navies and North Korea’s ongoing naval modernization, which includes the construction of 5,000-ton destroyers of the Choe Hyon and Kang Kon classes.