KTSSM (Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile)The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that it held a KTSSM operational deployment completion ceremony on Tuesday, December 16, at the Missile Strategic Command. The event was attended by DAPA Administrator Lee Yong-cheol, along with senior officials from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Republic of Korea Army Headquarters, the Defense Installations Agency, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ), and Hanwha Aerospace, the system’s prime contractor.

The KTSSM (Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile) is a core strike asset of South Korea’s Kill Chain preemptive strike system, designed to precisely neutralize North Korean long-range artillery units deployed in hardened underground facilities, including artillery tunnels and covered firing positions, during the early stages of conflict. The missile is also known by its Korean nickname “Ure”, meaning thunder, reflecting its rapid-response strike role.

Capable of penetrating concealed and fortified targets with high accuracy, the KTSSM provides the Republic of Korea Armed Forces with a time-critical strike capability to suppress artillery threats aimed at the Seoul metropolitan area. Defense officials assess that the system’s deployment significantly enhances capital region defense, early-phase battlefield dominance, and deterrence credibility.

Building on this achievement, DAPA is now advancing the development of the vehicle-mounted KTSSM-II, an upgraded variant featuring extended range, enhanced penetration capability, improved survivability, and greater operational flexibility. The KTSSM-II system development is scheduled for completion by 2027.

Oh Sung-sik, Director General of DAPA’s Guided Weapons Program Bureau, stated that “the operational deployment of KTSSM marks a substantial improvement in the military’s operational strike capabilities,” adding that “DAPA will continue to provide full support for the development of advanced surface-to-surface missile systems to further strengthen the Kill Chain.”

The successful deployment of the KTSSM—developed entirely with indigenous technology—is widely regarded as a milestone in completing the strike pillar of South Korea’s Three-Axis Defense System, reinforcing the nation’s ability to deter and, if necessary, decisively counter North Korean artillery threats.

K-DEFENSE NEWS | Strategic Analysis Desk