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Hyunmoo 5

The Hyunmoo 5 is a new large ballistic missile with South Korean characteristics [apologies to Deng Xiaoping]. South Korea showcased this ballistic missile capable of carrying an eight-ton warhead at military a parades in Seoul on 01 October 2024, a show of force now held annually to signal readiness to respond to North Korean threats. The American GBU-28 has a weight of 2.5 tons, while the projected Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) was to have a weight of 15 tons.

The Hyunmoo-5 missile, successfully tested in 2023r, was displayed at the Armed Forces Day parade at a Seoul air base, involving some 5,300 troops, 340 types of military equipment and aircraft flypasts. For decades such military parades had been held only infrequently in South Korea. But in 2023 President Yoon Suk Yeol revived the tradition of holding them annually, in line with his “peace through strength” mantra. the Hyunmoo-5 was a centerpiece of the parade, specifically designed to penetrate underground bunkers.

The military introduced them as the “ultra high-power Hyunmoo ballistic missile,” set on two nine-axle transporter-erector-launcher vehicles. The Hyunmoo-5 is categorized as short-range, but if topped with a one-ton warhead — typical for ballistic missiles — its range can exceed 3,100 miles, according to Yu Yong-weon, a lawmaker on the parliamentary defense committee. Yoon’s office said the missile plays a key role in the country’s “three-axis” defense system aimed at neutralizing the North’s nuclear provocations, including war plans that call for pre-emptive strikes if necessary.

Dubbed the “monster missile,” reflecting a destructive capacity that South Korean media says is comparable to that of a nuclear weapon, the Hyunmoo-5 can carry a warhead weighing up to 9 tons and is capable of striking deeply buried command centers. It incorporates an advanced cold-launch system, which uses compressed gas to propel the missile from its launcher before ignition, minimizing damage to the launcher and increasing operational stability, South Korean media reported. Media drew parallels between the Hyunmoo-5 and China’s Dongfeng-31 intercontinental ballistic missile, with the former estimated to have a range of 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles), capable of targeting critical infrastructure in North Korea and beyond.

Hyunmoo-5 TEL (transporter erector launcher) has an astounding 9 axles and 18 wheels. For reference, the TELs of Russian and Chinese ICBMs have 8 axles and 16 wheels. The canister that holds the Hyunmoo-5 missile is about 20 meters long, which is comparable in size to the Chinese ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile), the DF-31. However, the Hyunmoo-5's warhead weighs 8 tons, so it has a short range and is an SRBM (short-range ballistic missile). Conversely, by simply reducing the weight of the warhead, the Hyunmoo 5 can be developed into a missile with a medium to long range. This would be a beneficial investment if South Korea were to acquire nuclear weapons in the future.

The new missile is a centerpiece of the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation plan, designed to respond to damage caused by a North Korean nuclear weapon by targeting its leadership and military headquarters in a retaliatory strike. President Yoon Suk Yeol warned North Korea that it would face the end of its regime if it attempted to use nuclear weapons. “Our military will immediately retaliate against North Korea’s provocations based on its robust combat capabilities and solid readiness posture,” Yoon said at a ceremony to mark the 76th founding anniversary of the founding of South Korea’s armed forces, where the new missile was showcased for the first time.

The South Korean military would reportedly aim to use dozens of Hyunmoo-5s to destroy the North Korean military command’s underground bunkers and devastate Pyongyang in the event of an emergency. “If North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face the resolute and overwhelming response of our military and the South Korea-U.S. alliance. That day will be the end of the North Korean regime,” Yoon added. Denouncing North Korea for threatening the South with its nuclear weapons and missiles, as well as other provocations, Yoon urged the North to abandon “delusions” that nuclear weapons could guarantee its security. “False peace, based on the enemy's goodwill, is nothing but a mirage. History has proven that the only way to safeguard peace is by strengthening our power so the enemy cannot dare challenge us,” he added, vowing to build a strong military and strengthen security based on the strong alliance with the U.S., as well as trilateral cooperation involving Japan.

This missile was little more than low-grade RUMINT prior to 2022. Public reporting on this missile remained jumbled, possibly due in part to official disinformation, and in part to reporters challenged by confusing technical details of a very un-American m-ssile.

The South Korean missile program has faced a number of challenges, some common to all countries, and some unique to South Korea. The archetypical long-range missile in the late 20th century was designed to hurl a one-ton nuclear warhead hundreds or thousands of miles, with the payload amounting to 5% or 10% of the total mass of the rocket. For instance, medium-sized rockets sufficed for missiles flying between the USSR and Europe, while bigger missiles were needed for exchanges between the Soviet Union and the United States.

While America's founders had the magnificent foresight to put their new country on the opposite side of the planet from potential enemies, South Korea was not so fortunate, carelessly locating their capital city mere dozens of miles from the main enemy. South Korea faces no distant enemies. While Japan and China both have unhappy histories with Korea, that was all some time ago and is now largely of interest to ultra-nationalist hotheads, not military planners.

South Korea can build bigger missiles, but by this geo-strategic accident, larger missiles translate not into longer range but the larger payload, constituting a larger fraction of total liftoff weight. If this mass took the form of a single [non-nuclear] earth-penetrator, it might be a ten-ton mother of all bunker busters, capable of defeating deeply buried North Korean assets like missiles or leaders. Or if distributed among thousands of cute little anti-materiel submunitions that could rain death over a wide area, it could defeat North Korean mobile missiles. Liquid propellant missiles require a large convoy of soft-skinned fuel trucks, while pesky solid propellant missiles might scoot off unpredictably from the initial aimpoint.

South Korea will soon overtake North Korea's missile capabilities. South Korea had been bound by the 'missile guidelines' for 42 years, but North Korea has developed an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that has a range exceeding 10,000 km and can strike the US mainland. Now, the completion of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is also approaching.

The opportunity for a reversal has arrived. The shackles of maximum range of missiles that entangled South Korea have been lifted. Right after the summit with President Joe Biden held at the White House on 21 May 2021, President Moon Jae-in said, “I am happy to announce the end of the missile guidelines.”

While President Moon visited the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) in July 2021 and mentioned that he had “successfully developed a ballistic missile with the world’s highest warhead weight,” he did not name the missile in detail.

In 2021, with the abolition of the ROK-US missile range guideline , intermediate-range ballistic missiles as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles theoretically equipped with conventional high-explosive warheads and cluster warheads can be used. The origin of the name is Hyeonmu, literally "Black Tortoise" of Asian mythology, which stands for "Guardian of the Northern Sky". This four-sided god symbolizing the north, water , ice, and winter, which contrasts with other small and medium - sized tactical missile names in Korea that usually end in '~ goong ' . At the time of development, it was called the code name Eagle or Heavenly Dragon .

Just as the Hyunmoo missile is the core of the Republic of Korea 's missile force , the core missile operated by the KPA Strategic Force is the Hwasong missile . In the case of Hwasong missiles, North Korea's missiles cover everything from SRBMs to ICBMs. However, while Hwasong missiles are all ballistic missiles, Hyunmoo missiles have cruise missiles mixed in the middle. In North Korea, it is called with expressions such as 'Hyeonmu' series missiles' (in Korean standard terms, 'Hyeonmoo' series missiles) in line with the cultural language notation and their custom of writing official names.

For the same missile, various notations such as 'Hyunmoo-2C' and 'Hyunmoo II-C' are used in the media, causing subtle confusion. Hyeonmoo-5(V)' was used to reflect the fact that ADD-developed missiles use uppercase Roman numerals. In the Republic of Korea Armed Forces , it is customary to read single-digit numbers with English pronunciation, and since Roman numerals are used, they are pronounced like [Hyeonmu Tobi] (two B) and [Hyeonmu Tossi/Si] (two C). Another unusual thing is the series known as 'Hyeonmu-4'. Capital Roman numerals are followed by 123, not ABC. In the case of 'Hyeonmu-IV-4', 'Hyeonmu IV-4', or 'Hyeonmu 4-4', the reading is either [Hyeonmu Posa](four sa) or [Hyeonmu Popo](four four) or [Hyeonmu Po Dashi Po ] (four dash four), there is no way to know unless the military authorities disclose it. The same goes for 'Hyunmu-IV-1'.

According to a Dong-A Ilbo article on September 28, 2021, the development of a new high-powered ballistic missile with a warhead weight of 8 tons and a range of 300 km has been completed.[5] And he said he would launch a test launch a few years later.

The JoongAng Ilbo confirmed information on the high-powered ballistic missile through various channels, but since the government hid the related facts as a 'military secret', it was difficult to grasp the specifications or shape, but some clues were obtained. Observers got a clue from the 'God's Rod' that the United States stopped developing. The concept is to destroy the target with kinetic energy by dropping a tungsten rod weighing 9.5 tons from a satellite to the ground.

The purpose of developing high-powered ballistic missiles is to strike North Korean underground facilities. After the end of the Korean War, North Korea is said to have built more than 6,000 underground facilities, mainly in granite areas, claiming to fortify the entire country. There is a huge underground facility 300m underground in Pyongyang, and the North Korean command hides here in case of emergency, and it is said that the underground facility is also used for production and storage of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) such as nuclear weapons and missiles. That is why South Korea has limitations in attacking targets deep underground with conventional bombs that rely on the chemical energy of gunpowder explosions, and it is said that Korea, which cannot use nuclear weapons, has come to use the concept of destroying bunkers or underground facilities with kinetic energy.

Most of the small amounts of gunpowder in the 8-9 ton warhead are heavy metals , and unlike previously known facts, the shape is said to be quite sharp rather than dichotomous. It is the longest and thickest missile developed by South Korea, and its falling speed is close to Mach 10 . These high-powered ballistic missiles do not exceed a maximum range of 500 km and are launched at a higher angle than the normal angle (30 to 45 degrees). High angle launch reduces the flight distance instead of increasing the altitude of the missile, but increases the kinetic energy by increasing the falling speed. He said that reducing the weight of such a warhead to 1 ton would greatly increase the range.

The high-powered ballistic missile flew 350 km and accurately hit the target off the coast of Jeju Island, showing an accuracy of around 3m. As the typhoon approached at the time, the high-powered ballistic missile hit the target accurately even though the weather at sea was windy and high. It is said that it was hit.

The high-powered ballistic missile is known as 'Hyeonmoo-4', but this name was given by the press for convenience, and there is a separate development name, which is also said to be a secret. The government is said to be reviewing whether to give it a nickname in addition to the official name of high-powered ballistic missile. ADD plans to test-launch the high-powered ballistic missile several more times, and after checking its reliability, it is said that it can go into mass production as early as next year.

On December 28, 2021, North Korean media mentioned that the warhead weight of the high-powered ballistic missile developed by the South Korean military is 6 to 9 tons . In the article titled 'Endless Confrontation Madness', "South Korean belligerents staged an underwater test-launch of a ballistic missile from a 3,000-ton submarine in September and a test-launch of a high-powered ballistic missile with a warhead weight of about 6 to 9 tons. " Warhead weight was specifically mentioned.

On July 25, 2022, The Dong-A Ilbo , citing an unnamed military official, stated that two missiles were in development. One is a missile with a range of 600 km and a warhead weight of 6 tons (up to 8 tons) , named 'Hyunmu-5' . The other is said to be a missile with a range of 300 km and a warhead weight of 8 tons, but its official name has not been revealed. # There was a report that the missile ( high power Hyunmoo ballistic missile ) unveiled at the 2022 Armed Forces Day ceremony was Hyunmoo-V . According to a report on October 17, 2022, the ROK military is considering releasing a test video of the Hyunmoo-V in response to North Korea's various provocations in October 2022.

In the parliamentary audit , additional information was revealed in the process of Rep. Ahn Gyu- baek mentioning it, Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop affirming it, or partially NCND .

Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop: We are considering the direction of the response to the level at which North Korea can demonstrate that we have the ability to deter nuclear weapons or missiles.

Commissioner Ahn Gyu-baek: So on October 1st, did you reveal a small portion of the high-powered Hyunmu-5 that had not been released?

Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop: Yes, I will say that there was that aspect you mentioned.

Commissioner Ahn Gyu-baek: I think I did a pretty good job. Regarding high-powered missiles, the fact that we have this missile with a warhead of 8 tons and a total weight of 36 tons is the only one in the world not only reassures our people, but also instills pride in our military, so I am in a position to actively approve of that part.

In fact, many of our National Defense Commission members do not know much about this part, so even if this part is not disclosed, detailed specifications and how many we have, how many bullets we have, when and how it was launched, when we did the experiment You have succeeded, do you have any intention to report these parts in private to our National Defense Commissioner?

- October 4, 2022, National Assembly Defense Committee

Commissioner Ahn Gyu-baek : This has been repeated over and over again through combustion tests for several years, and in mid-September of last year, it was successful in the southern part of Jeju, with the range released and the warhead weight released. I am saying that we need to pay more attention and support to high-power, high-explosive missiles with a warhead of 8 tons and a total weight of 36 tons.

- October 6, 2022, National Assembly Defense Committee

By January 2023, South Korea was preparing to test a powerful conventional missile. Without disclosing the name of the missile, a military source on 01 February 2023 said the country's Agency for Defense Development is likely to test-fire a high-power missile at the Anheung launch site in Chungcheongnam-do Province. The military had issued a navigational warning around the area, raising speculation the launch may be in the next few days.

The missile is believed to be the Hyunmoo-5. Dubbed South Korea's "monster missile," it is reportedly capable of carrying warheads weighting eight or nine tons, and falls on its target at 10 times faster than the speed of sound. Hyunmoo 5 (V) ballistic missile is capable of carrying the "largest warhead in the world" weighing 8 to 9 tons with a thrust of 75 tons. This means it could target deep underground tunnels and bunkers with an effect said to be "similar to that of nuclear weapons". Gee whiz !!Its maximum range remains unknown, but observers said that it may be able to fly 3,000 kilometers or farther -- a distance covered by an intermediate-range missile. The missile, if fielded, is expected to serve as a centerpiece of Seoul's Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR), an operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in a major conflict. Once deployed, the Hyunmoo-5 would become a crucial part of Seoul's three-axis system to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile development.

Malcolm Davies, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the Hyunmoo-5 could carry a conventional warhead weighing up to 9 tons, but with a lighter warhead it could fly up to 3,000 km and could theoretically strike China and Japan. “An 8 to 9 ton warhead is an astounding weight that is difficult to understand with conventional weapons knowledge,” said Jang Young-geun, a missile expert and professor at the University of Aeronautics. With a range of 3,000 to 3,500 km, it can put virtually all of China within range, so it can respond to threats from neighboring powers in case of emergency. Since the range of 3,000 to 5,500 km is classified as an intermediate-range missile, it means that the Hyunmoo-5 can actually become South Korea's first intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).

The new high-powered ballistic missile is presumed to be the same bunker buster as the Hyunmu-4. And this new high-powered ballistic missile is presumed to be intended to destroy North Korea's nuclear facilities , which is why it has a warhead weight of 8 tons and a range of 300 km. Because the warhead weight is excessive and the range is a fairly short missile, there is no reason for the warhead to be 8 tons if it was just a weapon to neutralize air defense. Even if the range of the Hyunmu-4 is reduced to 300 km, the weight of the warhead is only 4 to 5 tons, so accurate information is required to strike properly. If they come in, they can bury the North Korean leadership and nuclear facilities in one shot. The penetration capability of the new high-powered ballistic missile is capable of penetrating beyond North Korea's nuclear facilities, and if it explodes after penetrating, the ground of one or two mountains collapses, completely burying North Korea's nuclear facilities.

The Hyunmu-5, equipped with an 8t warhead, has a 75t thrust of the first stage solid rocket motor and a total missile weight of 36t. Based on the first stage, it is in fact the same specification as the US ICBM, Minuteman 3. However, unlike Minuteman 3, which is a three-stage ICBM, the Hyunmoo-5 is estimated to be a two-stage ICBM, and the fact that Korea operates it as an IRBM means that it is very likely to operate multiple warheads (MIRV). For reference, the RSD-10 Pioneer (SS-20/28), a two-stage solid fuel-based IRBM operated by the Soviet Union in the past, which has specifications very similar to the Hyunmoo-5, has a total weight of 37 tons and a range of three nuclear warheads. It was possible to project to a target of 5500 km. The fact that the prototype of the RSD-10 Pioneer was the RT-21 Temp 2S, a three-stage solid fuel-based ICBM against the US Minuteman, is that if one stage is added to the two-stage Hyunmu-5, at least Minuteman 3 .

To counter the RSD-10 Pioneer during the Cold War, the US deployed the Pershing 2 in Europe. Coincidentally, the Korean Pershing 2 is the Hyunmu 2C. In other words, South Korea possesses and operates all of the means of nuclear delivery that were used primarily by the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, respectively. The Hyunmu-5 is 16 tons heavier in total weight than China's DF-26, which is of a similar class in Northeast Asia.

With South Korea completing the development of the Hyunmoo 5, all countries in Northeast Asia except Japan are operating IRBMs, or have a force comparable to them. In order to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, the Strategic Command is tasked with striking North Korean command posts and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in case of emergency. However, with the inter-Korean summit in 2018, the discussion on the establishment was canceled.

Strategic Command is a plan to integrate and operate the nuclear and WMD response systems (old 3-axis system) scattered in the army, navy and air force. He was scheduled to direct the precision strikes performed by the Air Force F-35 stealth fighters, the Army Missile Command's missile operations and the Special Warfare Special Brigade (decapitation unit) missions, and the strategic operation of naval submarines loaded with missiles.