USFK adds long-range air-to-ground missiles to its munitions: sources

SEOUL, June 26 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has more than 10 long-range, precision-guided missiles capable of hitting major facilities in Pyongyang even when fired south of the inter-Korean border, multiple defense sources in Seoul said Monday.

The USFK recently deployed the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM, at Kunsan Air Base, some 180 kilometers south of Seoul, for use by F-16 fighter jets, they said.

Lockheed Martin's JASSM with a range of over 300 kilometers is designed to engage high-value fixed targets, equipped with a penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead.

The exact type of JASSM included in the USFK's munitions remains unconfirmed, with Lockheed also producing the JASSM-Extended Range (ER) for longer-range strikes.

In March, the company announced that it performed several flight tests with an updated version of the JASSM.

"To my knowledge, the USFK considers making public a live-fire drill involving the JASSM in case North Korea carries out another strategic provocation, such as a sixth nuclear test," a source said.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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