S. Korea displays deterrence might

SOUTH Korea’s armed forces put on a display of its military might in a massive military parade to mark its 76th Armed Forces Day on October 1. On this occasion, around 5,000 troops and 340 units of various materiel such as K2 main battle tanks (MBT), K9 self-propelled howitzers (SPH), Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM) systems, quadruped robots, unmanned surface, sub-surface vessels and aircraft flooded Seongnam just south of Seoul.

Stealing the show was the South’s latest surface-to-surface ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5 which broke cover in its first public reveal. Carried aboard two 9-axled transporter erector launchers (TEL), the Hyunmoo-5 is central to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces’ Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan against a major North Korean attack.

According to reports, it is capable of carrying 8 or 9-tonne conventional warhead that can penetrate deeply into the earth and destroy underground bunkers anywhere in the North. It is the latest in the Hyunmoo family of missiles comprising ballistic and cruise missiles, the preceding Hyunmoo-4 was unveiled at last year’s parade and can only deliver a two-tonne payload in comparison to the Hyunmoo-5.

Following that, a United States Air Force (USAF) B-1B Lancer heavy bomber flew over Seoul Air Base for the first time alongside a pair of ROK Air Force (ROKAF) F-15K fighters, reiterating the partnership between the ROK and the US. Additionally, the KF-21 fighter currently being developed also partook in a flypast along with the stealth F-35A fighter jets while the ROKAF Black Eagles aerobatic team put on a show. ROK Special Operations Forces (SOF) and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters were also involved in demonstrations. -shp/adj/dl (Pix:BEMIL)