S. Korean military to add 90 more Taurus pinpoint strikers

S. Korean military to add 90 more Taurus pinpoint strikers. October. 05, 2016 07:35. by 손효주기자 hjson@donga.com. South Korea plans to acquire 90 more Taurus air-to-ground guided missiles (picture) at can pinpoint strike underground bunkers where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be hiding or nuclear and missile facilities within the error range of 2-3 meters from as far as 500 kilometers away.

According to multiple South Korean military sources on Tuesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have recently decided to add 90 more Taurus missiles as a response to the rapidly advancing nuclear and missile capabilities of the North. Taurus missiles are developed by the Taurus Systems, a joint-venture of Germany and Sweden. The initial plan was to add a total of 177 of them by early next year, beginning with 20 by the end of this year, but introducing 90 more of them will make the total around 270.

The South Korean Air Force had requested for an approval of buying 270 air-to-ground missiles that could precisely target North Korea’s core nuclear and missile facilities and Kim Jong Un’s office in Pyongyang, but the Defense Ministry of South Korea finally confirmed adding 177 of them in June 2013 for budget reasons. However, Pyongyang has lately enhanced its nuclear capabilities significantly by conducting another nuclear test and developing Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles, raising the need for Seoul to further beef up its anti-nuclear and anti-missile capabilities. “Adding more missiles requires relatively simple paper work, so the process is likely to be completed within 1-2 years at the earliest,” said a military official.

F-15K fighters can carry up to two Taurus missiles. The system is made in the stealth form and is equipped with the U.S. military GPS system, which can respond to Pyongyang’s radio disturbance attacks and destroy the North's leadership facilities in just 10 minutes flying at a speed of Mach 0.95. The system can penetrate 6 meter-thick reinforced concrete.