South Korea Conducts First TAURUS Missile Test in 7 Years—Strikes Target 400 km Away

South Korea’s Air Force conducted a live-fire test of the long-range air-to-ground cruise missile TAURUS, designed to strike the origin of enemy provocations, for the first time in seven years.

On Friday, the Air Force announced it had successfully completed the TAURUS live-fire tests over the Yellow Sea from Tuesday to Thursday.

The TAURUS missile, launched from an F-15K fighter jet, flew about 400 km to strike a target at the shooting range in the Yellow Sea. For safety reasons, the military used inert rounds with the explosives removed.

Alongside the live-fire training, the military also trained to respond to enemy cruise missiles.

The TAURUS missile simulated an enemy cruise missile flying at low altitude and high speed. The E-737 airborne control aircraft detected its trajectory and relayed it to other airborne fighter jets and the Main Air Defense Command Center (MCRC).

As the missile defense unit operating the Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile system in the western coastal area continued tracking the trajectory, F-35A and KF-16 fighter jets also engaged in tracking to identify the missile. Following instructions from the tactical action officer at the Air and Space Operations Center (KAOC), the F-35A simulated an intercept of the missile.

Captain Jo Myung Soo of the Air Force’s 11th Fighter Wing, who conducted the TAURUS live-fire exercise, stated, “Each TAURUS missile is a high-value asset for the military, and I will share this experience with all F-15K pilots to accumulate expertise in missile operations.”

The TAURUS is regarded as a strategic weapon capable of being launched from a rear area beyond the range of North Korea’s air defense systems to immediately and precisely strike key strategic targets.

It employs stealth technology, making it undetectable to North Korean radar. Equipped with a military GPS, it can accurately strike within 3 meters of its target even under jamming conditions. With a maximum speed of 1,163 kilometers per hour, if launched from near Seoul, it can strike essential facilities across North Korea within 15 minutes.