Hanwha's Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM) system, pictured at the DX Korea 2022 show in Goyang. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)
Hanwha Corporation will start mass production of the Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM) system from 2023, the company said at the DX Korea 2022 exhibition in Goyang on 22 September.
The company told Janes that it is also preparing a vehicle-launched version of the system, which could take three years to develop.
Mass production of the KTSSM, also known as the ‘artillery killer', was initially expected to begin in late 2020 or 2021, but was reportedly delayed because the US did not approve the export of some of the KTSSM's components.
The Hanwha Corporation spokesperson did not confirm if these approvals have been secured, but said that the company is “currently preparing to start production of the missile next year”. Deployment of the missiles is expected to start from late 2023 or 2024.
In response to a requirement from the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA), the company is also preparing to start development of a version of the missile that can be launched from an 8×8 vehicle, the spokesperson said.
This development programme will focus on enabling the missile to be fired from Hanwha's Chun-Mu multiple rocket system, which is integrated onto an 8×8 cross-country chassis, the spokesperson added. The development programme has not yet started but is expected to progress in 2023.
In November 2020 South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it had approved the procurement of at least 200 KTSSMs in a five-year programme worth about KRW320 billion (USD229 million).
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