The Ure (

Hangul The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

: 우레; English: Thunder), often called KTSSM (Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile; ) is a short-range tactical

surface-to-surface missile A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea and strike targets on land or at sea. They may be fired from hand-held or vehicle mounted devices, from fixed installations, or from a ship. They ar ...

(SSM) developed through the Lightning Project () that began as a

countermeasure A countermeasure is a measure or action taken to counter or offset another one. As a general concept, it implies precision and is any technological or tactical solution or system designed to prevent an undesirable outcome in the process. The fi ...

against

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

's conventional artillery raised in the wake of the Bombardment of Yeonpyong Island. The Block 1 for fixed launcher platform, which was developed in 2019, was jointly developed with

Hanwha Group Hanwha Group () is a large business conglomerate (chaebol) in South Korea. Founded in 1952 as Korea Explosives Co. (), the group has grown into a large multi-profile business conglomerate, with diversified holdings stretching from explosivesthei ...

under the leadership of

Agency for Defense Development The Agency for Defense Development (ADD, ) is the South Korean government agency for research and development in defense technology, funded by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). It was established in August 1970 under the ban ...

(ADD) and is currently developing an improved Block 2 version to operate on various

transporter erector launcher A transporter erector launcher (TEL) is a missile vehicle with an integrated tractor unit that can transport, elevate to a firing position and launch one or more rockets or missiles. History Such vehicles exist for both surface-to-air missiles ...

(TEL) platforms.

Design and development

The KTSSM (Ure) was developed with the intention of quickly neutralizing North Korean long-range artillery. Dubbed the "artillery killer,"

Hanwha Hanwha Group () is a large business conglomerate (chaebol) in South Korea. Founded in 1952 as Korea Explosives Co. (), the group has grown into a large multi-profile business conglomerate, with diversified holdings stretching from explosivesthei ...

Corporation designed the missile in partnership with the

(ADD). Four missiles can be launched almost simultaneously from a fixed launch pad and they can travel ; the launcher and missiles as a set have a combined cost of $1.9 million. They are GPS-guided to hit targets within two meters and have a shaped thermal warhead that can penetrate bunkers and hardened, dug-in targets several meters underground or of concrete. While it resembles the American

MGM-140 ATACMS The MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS ) is a supersonic tactical ballistic missile designed and manufactured by the American defense company Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV), and later, through acquisitions, Lockheed Martin. The missile uses ...

missile, the KTSSM is cheaper and more accurate with a shorter range, though still adequate to perform the

counterbattery Counter-battery fire (sometimes called counter-fire) is a battlefield tactic employed to defeat the enemy's indirect fire elements (multiple rocket launchers, artillery and mortars), including their target acquisition, as well as their command a ...

role. There are two versions of the missile: KTSSM-1 for attacking

M-1978 Koksan M-1978 Koksan (), a name used by US military analysts, known by its makers as the Chuch'ep'o (Juche Cannon; ), is a North Korean self-propelled gun based on the Type 59 tank chassis. Some guns were exported to Middle Eastern countries in the l ...

170 mm howitzers and M1985/M1991 240 mm unguided

multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple rocket launcher, launchers which are fixed to a single weapons platform, platform, and shoots its rocket (weapon ...

s (MRLs); and KTSSM-2, a self-propelled system tasked with engaging KN-09 300 mm MRLs and KN-02

short-range ballistic missile A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range of to . In past and potential regional conflicts, these missiles have been and would be used because of the short distances between some countries and their relative low c ...

s, having a Block I version employing a thermal penetrating warhead and a Block II version with a unitary high-explosive warhead.South Korea to deploy ‘artillery killer’ to destroy North Korean bunkers
''Defense News''. 19 March 2018.
''Army Recognition''. 21 March 2018.South Korea Is Deploying Hyper-Precise Missiles to Protect Seoul from North Korea
''

The National Interest ''The National Interest'' (''TNI'') is an American bimonthly international relations magazine edited by American journalist Jacob Heilbrunn and published by the Center for the National Interest, a public policy think tank based in Washington, ...

''. 1 April 2018. Development lasted from 2014-2017 at a cost of USD$418 million, and it was successfully test-launched in October 2017. In March 2018, the

South Korean Army The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the largest of the military branches of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces with 365,0 ...

announced it would create a new artillery brigade composed of KTSSM-2 and K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems with the aim of destroying North Korea’s hardened long-range artillery sites near the

Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...

, to be inaugurated in October of that year. Fielding was planned for 2019, but initially postponed to 2023 because the United States had yet to approve the purchase of important components. In 2019, it was reported that the KTSSM would be deployed in 2021. In November 2020,

Defense Acquisition Program Administration The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA, ) is a central administrative agency of the South Korean Ministry of National Defense. It was founded on 1 January 2006 as part of a comprehensive reform of defense acquisition, including the ...

(DAPA) announced mass production would begin for the missile to enter service in 2022, with more than 200 units planned to be made by 2025.

Improvements

Block-II CTM290

On 27 April 2022, South Korean

(DAPA) announced a plan to develop a vehicle-mounted tactical surface-to-surface guided weapon (KTSSM-2). The purpose of this development project is to improve the existing KTSSM-1 to increase the range from to and integrate tactical ballistic missile systems into various types of Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) such as the K239 Chunmoo. On 21 December 2022, the Agency for Defense Development conducted a public test of the Block 2 missile under development after inviting military officials from each country at the Anheung Proving Ground. The missile was mounted on the K239 Chunmoo vehicle and hit a target away after it was launched. On 13 March 2023, the 150th Defense Project Promotion Committee deliberated and approved the basic strategy and system development plan for developing a vehicle-mounted Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile, and the revised plan included the agenda of completing the development of KTSSM-2 by 2032, two years earlier than the previous plan. On 11 May 2023, the South Korean Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ) announced that it had successfully passed the quality certification launch test of Block I produced through the

mass production Mass production, also known as mass production, series production, series manufacture, or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines ...

process. On 24 April 2024, ADD conducted a test launch of CTM290 integrated into the Homar-K system in the presence of Poland's Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Bejda and government officials from each country. The missile that was launched successfully hit the target after flying for more than 200 seconds.

Export

Poland

In October 2022, an agreement was signed to deliver 288 K239 Chunmoo K-MLRS to the

Polish Land Forces The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history str ...

. The first stage of the program has a supply of ammunition, including KTSSM-II TBMs, which is planned to ultimately be produced by Poland itself.Poland buying Korean made MLRS, continuing Seoul spending spree
''Breaking Defense''. 20 October 2022.

References

External links

{{Commons category, KTSSM
Chapter 4: The Korean Peninsula: North Korea’s Growing Nuclear and Missile Threat and South Korea’s Anguish

KTSSM's Defense Quality Certification firing Test (YouTube Video)
Tactical ballistic missiles Ballistic missiles of South Korea ADD research and development projects