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Raybolt / Hyeongung ATGM

Raybolt is a mid-range homing missile system for infantry units to provide defense against threats from tanks and next-generation armored vehicles (anti-tank rocket launcher). This fire-and-forget mid-range homing missile system for infantry is developed to resolve the limitations of the existing old and worn-out anti-tank weapons currently being used and to deal more effectively with advanced tank attacks of the enemy. LIG Nex1 received a green light to proceed with production of the Raybolt (HyeonGung in Korean) medium-range anti-tank missile.

The South Korean company was awarded a contract on 02 December 2016 and the program involves 270 contractors, and 95% of components are produced nationally. In 2017, the missile complex successfully completed state-level and mass-production trials.

Raybolt is the export designation of the Hyeongung complex, which is in many respects analogous to the American Javelina. The thermal imaging homing head of the ATGM is capable of memorizing a target and, after launching, no longer requires operator control. The maximum target range is two and a half kilometers. Total weight - 24 kg. Thanks to the so-called tandem warhead Raybolt can destroy tanks equipped with dynamic protection. Saudi Arabia, apparently, was the first foreign customer of this complex.

The Korean military has been using long-range TOW missiles, medium-range Metis M and guns, and short-range German Panzerfausts, but these have been criticized for being unreliable due to aging. The military is expected to unify all anti-tank missiles into three types by developing Korean short-range anti-tank rockets and long-range anti-tank missiles by the mid-2020s. The military plans to develop the tactics by operating two types of in-service training and two types of tactical vehicles. It is also noteworthy that an operational tactical vehicle will be deployed in a massive class unit as the new system is introduced. An official of the military said, "If deployed in our military, the reliability of the weapon system will increase and expect more exports."

The army plans to complete the deployment of the full-range missile by 2022, with the replacement of a portion of the TOW anti-tank missile and the 106mm anti-tank gun. Hyundai missiles have the ability to destroy tanks with armor over 900mm in thickness at a range of 2.6km. Especially, it has a dual-shaped warhead capable of destroying dual-complex armor, and its export prospects are bright because most of the world's class tanks can be neutralized. In addition, the long-range anti-tank missile with a range of 8 to 12 km will be completed by the mid-2020s until the mid-term missile missile to meet the shortage of the planned missile.

Extended Range ATGM

A new domestic air-to-surface missile mounted on a helicopter, with a range of 8 km, has more than twice the range of the TOW anti-tank missile (3.75 km), which is owned and operated by the Army Air Corps. The launching weight is 35kg, 150mm in diameter and 1.5m in length, which is heavier than TOW (152mm diameter, 1.4~1.5m length), even though it is heavier (TOW is 23kg).

Although it is called "Korean Hellfire" (American anti-tank missile), it looks like Israeli Spike ER (Extended Range). With a range of 8 km, the Hellfire has been used by the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is fired with 'fire & update' using a wire data link. If necessary, the wired optical cable can be switched to the fire and forget mode after the launch of the searcher (seeker) in the warhead.

The baseline Spike ER round is effectively a scale-up of the legacy 4 km-range Spike LR, with an 8 km fibre-optic data communications link, a larger tandem high-explosive anti-tank high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) and multipurpose blast fragmentation warhead, larger rocket motor, and a higher quality gimballed dual-mode imaging infrared (IR)/charge-coupled device (CCD) seeker assembly.

A South Korean government deal concluded on 6 September 2011 confirmed the procurement of unspecified numbers of Spike NLOS, of which about 50 missiles will be forward deployed to the South Korean islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong, close to the Northern Limit Line with North Korea. On 19 May 2013 the South Korean military confirmed that "dozens" of Spike missiles had been deployed on the islands. The Republic of Korea Navy will also deploy the Spike NLOS on AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopters, and the Republic of Korea Marine Corps has the Spike NLOS mounted on Plasan Sandcat light vehicles.

The Army plans to mount the missile on the domestic LAH to replace the old 500 MD and Cobra attack helicopters. Development cost is 16.18 billion won. The military had taken the time to complete the development of the missile in 2023. It has been linked with LAH development. The aging of the ammo is proceeding rapidly and there is concern about the power loss that can not be seen. The old weapon, which was first introduced in 1982, is being used for training purposes, but it has been unfavorable in the TOW 2A shot in the 1990s. Production is already discontinued, so Korea can not expect the supplier's follow-up logistics support. The introduction of new overseas weapon is also time consuming and localization is the fastest solution.

When the development of the missiles is completed, the use of the missiles is expected to increase further. While there is little place to place a battlefield where long-range saturation is given in the terrain of the Korean peninsula, it is possible to strike the enemy tank at a distance when mounted on various armored vehicles. It can also be mounted on small tactical vehicles that have become popular. It means saving a lot of maneuverability. It can also be used as a weapon to defend the coastal base from a landing on a landlocked Northwest base where Israeli Spike missiles are deployed. It is expected that it will be able to demonstrate the power of an attack helicopter when mounted on a UAV.

The concept of the attack helicopter is relatively new to warfare, having grown from the experience of Vietnam. Originally armed helicopters were equipped with only a machine gun and rocket pods and were used to escort troop-carrying helicopters into contested areas. With the development of wire-guided missiles in the latter 1960's and early 1970s, the armed helicopter acquired a more specific role as a weapon against tanks, armored personnel carriers, and mobile armed anti-aircraft systems, such as the Soviet ZSU-23-4.

Military planners view the helicopter as an ideal platform for close-in operations because it can maneuver near the target by remaining close to the ground and concealing itself behind terrain features such as trees and hills, allowing for an accurate delivery of weapons. Most countries that use helicopters in a ground attack role purchase light helicopters - weighing less than 10,000 lbs - and add a weapons capability. Light-weight helicopters are popular because they are difficult to detect due to their smaller size and are generally more agile than medium- or heavy-lift helicopters. The French Gazelle, Alouette, and Ecureuil, West German BO-105, Italian A-109, and US Hughes 500 fit into this category. Most air-to-ground guided missile systems such as the AT 15, HOT, or TOW easily be adapted for use with light helicopters.