South Korea develops cruise missiles based on Russian ones – media

18.08.2011 South Korean military conducts development of new supersonic antiship cruise missiles on the basis of Russian missile Yakhont, reports AFP on Aug 17 referring to local newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

The missile will fly low over the water 2.5 times faster than sound speed and have operational range of 300 km. Detection and tracking of such missile would be quite complicated.

"The Agency for Defense Development has been conducting the full-scale development work on supersonic antiship missiles for several years", reports the source referring to an undisclosed representative of South Korean government.

According to the source, the missiles "are designed to protect the country from sea threats proceeding from other regional states, not only North Korea".

Representatives of South Korea's Agency for Defense Development and Defense Procurement Agency refused to comment the information released by Chosun Ilbo.