The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced on the 18th that it has operationally deployed the Korea Tactical Surface to Surface Missile Ⅰ (KTSSM-Ⅰ), which can simultaneously and precisely strike North Korea's long-range firepower in a short time.

The KTSSM-Ⅰ was given the name "Urae", which means thunder in pure Korean. KTSSM is a state-of-the-art precision-guided weapon capable of destroying enemy long-range firepower using a thermobaric warhead. It can penetrate several meters underground and has a range of over 180 km.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announces the operational deployment of the tactical surface-to-surface guided weapon (KTSSM) on Nov. 18. The photo shows the KTSSM during a quality certification firing test. /Courtesy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Developed domestically after the 2010 Yeonpyeong Island shelling to destroy North Korea's long-range artillery positions established in underground tunnels, it was operationalized last year.

The JCS explained, "With the operational deployment of the KTSSM, we expect to have the capability to completely annihilate the enemy's long-range firepower, which could crush the enemy's willingness to provoke in case of an emergency."