Type Anti-ship missile In service 2006-present Designed 1996-2003 | Place of origin Republic of Korea Used by Republic of Korea Navy | |
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Designer Agency for Defense Development
LIG Nex1 | ||
SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star) Anti-ship Missile (Hangul: 해성 미사일) is a ship launched anti-ship cruise missile developed by the Korea Agency for Defense Development (ADD), LIG Nex1 and the Republic of Korea Navy in 2003. The missiles are deployed on KDX-II and KDX-III destroyers as of 2006, each carrying 8 and 16 of the missiles respectively.
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Development History
During the 1970s the Republic of Korea Navy decided to import Exocet anti-ship missiles to deter North Korean naval provocations. Considering the fact that the DPRK Navy was then and now mostly composed of numerous small to midsize ships, a cheap, small guided anti-ship missile was proposed. In 1978 the Korean Agency for Defense Development (ADD) started the development of the Hae Ryong anti-ship missile, and by 1987 the ROK Navy approved for the mass production of the missiles. But the Hae Ryong was fitted with a semi-active laser guidance system, limiting its tactical capability during bad weather. Additional pressure from the USA ultimately resulted in the termination of the project.
In 1990, the problem of large proportions of the defense budget going into buying anti-ship missiles from foreign countries was brought up. The ROK Navy ordered the ADD to develop a missile that was in par with or better in performance than the Harpoon Block 1C missile. The new missile was codenamed Haeseong, and research of the following core missile technologies was started in 1996.
After 7 years of research, on August 21, 2003, the ADD successfully test fired the Haeseong and sunk the target dummy vessel. On December 20, 2005 the first production model was successfully fired from ROKS Dae Joyeong (DDH 977) KDX-II class destroyer.
Cruise missiles
In September 2011, South Korean defense officials confirmed the development of a supersonic cruise missile based on the Haeseong I anti-ship missile, called the Haeseong II. The Haeseong II is designed as a ship-to-surface cruise missile that travels faster than Mach 1 that can evade defense systems and accurately strike ground targets, particularly North Korean missile launch pads. The missile was developed without the assistance of the United States and will not be offered for export due to restrictions of the Missile Technology Control Regime. Ships will launch the missile with the installation of vertical and slant launch systems, and strike targets over 500 km (310 mi; 270 nmi) away. There is a version of the Haeseong cruise missile designed to be launched underwater from submarines called the Haeseong III. The Haeseong cruise missiles are believed to have become operational in 2013.
Production
33 units were delivered by 2007 for the first production phase of the missile. 100 more Haeseong missiles are to be delivered to the ROK Navy by 2010.