Following captive flight tests onboard the FA-50 LCA, ROK’s KALCM air-launched cruise missile separated and landed on the target point successfully.
KALCM’s separation test from KAI FA-50 Light Combat Aircraft was performed after 31 sorties for captive tests. The separation test from FA-50 was performed to validate the safety of firing without any danger to the missile and aircraft structure.
The cruise missile is mainly intended for the KF-21 fighter jet but can be used onboard FA-50 LCA as well. Weighing 1300 kg, the KALCM can reach a range of 500+ km and is guided by a combination of INS+GNSS navigation and IIR seeker.
So far, ROKAF’s main stand-off weapon has been the Taurus KEPD-350 cruise missile developed by Germany. The missile is in use with F-15K multirole fighters and will be available to KF-21. Additionally, a smaller version designated KEPD-350K2 is in development for the FA-50 LCA.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
