South Korea completes deployment of Cheonma missiles Monday, 19 December 2011 12:19

SEOUL: South Korea has completed the deployment of its short-range surface-to-air missiles in the field.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration declared it had completed the placement of the missiles in a meeting held in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province with some 80 defense and Army officials in attendance, according to Korean (KBS WORLD).

Dubbed "Cheonma," the missile is the first domestically developed guided weapon. It was developed by the Agency for Defense Development in 1997 and production began in South Korea in 1999. They were first deployed at the Air Force's air defense artillery units and the Army's artillery units. The Army's units in the capital area and front-line regions were the last to receive the missiles.

Some 100 "Cheonma" missiles have been produced to the present, and production will end next year.

Flying at a speed of two-point-six Mach, a Cheonma missile has a range of nine kilometers and is capable of detecting targets 20 kilometers away.  (QNA)