Poland receives advanced ballistic missiles KTSSM-II from South Korea, analogs of ATACMS
The KTSSM-II can engage targets at a range of up to 300 km, and in the anti-bunker version – at a range of up to 180 km
Poland continues to receive and put into service Korean K239 Chunmoo missile systems, which have been given their own name Homar-K, purchased from Korea in the amount of 288 units mounted on its own Jelcz chassis and equipped with its own Topaz fire control system.
And while the first Homar-K system in Poland was demonstrated back in August, this is the third vehicle that has been delivered directly to a unit – the 18th Mechanized Division, which is deployed with headquarters in Siedlce to cover the eastern border with Belarus.
But the peculiarity is that in the photo the system is loaded with a container that corresponds to a KTSSM ballistic missile. This container occupies one “package” and the second contains 239-mm missiles.
Pierwsza wyrzutnia rakietowa #Homar-K, zintegrated with the Polish podwoziem #JELCZ and systemem #TOPAZ, was launched to artists from 18. Pułku Artylerii w Nowej Dębie. Zwiększamy potencjał bojowy Żelaznej Dywizji! 🔥
📸: @kpr. Jarosław Kusz/18 Pułk Artylerii pic.twitter.com/sSIcpxbraB
– 18 Dywizja Zmechanizowana (@Zelazna_Dywizja) November 28, 2023
The KTSSM-II container is slightly longer than the launcher, so, as in the case of HIMARS and ATACMS, it cannot be disguised as a “regular” package.
At the same time, the KTSSM-II missile itself is the actual Korean analog of the ATACMS, which in its second version is designed to be launched from the K239 Chunmoo. In the Block I version, it has a range of up to 180 km with a 500 kg warhead that has a specialized anti-bunker capability, and in the Block II version, 290 km with a standard high-explosive warhead without declaring the weight.
The Polish publication Defence24 notes that there is no information on Poland’s receipt of Homar-K ammunition. Neither for KTSSM-II, nor even for 239-mm missiles, the localized production of which is planned to be established in Poland.
Defense Express notes that it is possible that this is a container for training and education of personnel. But it would be strange if the systems were purchased without weapons at all. The first batch of 18 units for the 18th Mechanized Division is to be delivered by the end of this year. Starting from the fourth machine, Homar-K harvesting will be organized at Huta Stalowa Wola.
So far, everything points to the fact that Poland already has KTSSM-II, which in its 300-km version is quite capable of targeting any object in Kaliningrad and Belarus, including objects near Minsk.
