K239 Chunmoo | the rising star of the MLRS in the international market

We are investigating the K239 Chunmoo, the multiple rocket launcher system that dares to compete with the HIMARS. #K239 #chunmoo #mlrs

Why did South Korea decide to develop an MLRS indigenously?
Why does the ROKA need an MLRS like the K239?
How does the Chunmoo manage to compete with the HIMARS?
What are the features of the K239?

00:00 Introduction
00:58 Historical background
02:31 Programme history
03:08 Design
04:04 Firepower
06:06 Mobility
06:29 Survivability
06:56 Users
07:07 Specifications
07:43 Analysis

Welcome to our channel. All the weapon systems are like books, and they tell us their stories. The Weapon Detective investigates these books, reads between the lines, analyses, and tells the untold. At the dawn of the Second Cold War, the fruits of new projects give us clues about the future. But current weapon systems also have their own stories. In our videos, you can find technical information, historical backgrounds, what happened during the development processes, combat experience and political projection. While the Second Cold War is rising, Let's investigate the weapons together.

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Music: 조국이 있다 (The Fatherland Is There) - South Korean Military Song

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[WeaponDetective]

Please click the link to watch our other Weapon Detective videos
Please click the link to watch our other South Korean Systems videos
Please click the link to watch our other Weapon Detective-Land videos

[snowmochi]

Ironically, one of the biggest advantages for Korean weapon is North Korea. Because of North Korea, South Korea has to maintain a certain level of weapons. If Pzh2000 was mass produced like the K9 was, its price won’t be 3 times more expensive than K9. Economies of scale does play a huge part in military. Also, because of North Korea, South Korea keeps their weapon factories open and operational. Not a lot of countries can mass produce a huge number of weapons in a short period of time

[MarcinMoka]

So a Korean HIMARS / M142. Awesome. Good buy for Poland. 🇵🇱And thank you Korea 🇰🇷

[robertciesluk]

Thank you Korea. God bless you.
Greetings from Warsaw 🇵🇱 🇰🇷🇺🇦🇺🇸

[ChaoticCobra]

The Canadian Armed Forces once had plans to acquire a MLRS. Maybe it should look into again and acquire the Korean K239 🇨🇦🇰🇷

[jeffsong]

For the sake of general knowledge, Chun-Moo means Chun = Sky & Moo = Raining Down. It's quite scary when you think about it. It signifies there are no survivors.

[megaslimful]

The 130mm rocket, which is the smallest rocket available on the K239 Chunmoo, is not to be ignored. Although small in size, the rocket contains about 16, 000 small fragments. Since it is a cluster bomb that explodes in the air, firing multiple shots will devastating an enormous area of ​​​​the enemy.
South Korea has about 200, 000 such rockets. It's not false. Because South Korea is at war with North Korea, it always has and continues to produce large numbers of rockets and missiles.

[bgshin]

Interesting subject indeed.

Here are my 2 cents worth:

1. The vehicle is almost irrelevant as long as it can take the recoils. Whether it is Polish, Finnish, English vehicle, as long as it has sufficient suspension and hydraulic arms, no issue. Mobility may play some role but given the distance from the front line, it is not as critical as artillery which is almost always within enemy counter artillery range.
2. The pod is not too difficult to produce. We have been seeing varying MLRSs from various countries.
3. The key to such system is data link and munition (range and accuracy). eg Korea spent $300m to develop K239 system. But spending average $1-3bn a year on its munitions (R&D and acquisition). Munitions are not typically interchangeable with other systems, with exceptions of unguided munitions. More advanced munitions (eg ATACMS, KTSSM) are not interoperable as they are the key differentiators.
4. Target acquisition and DataLink. M270 or M142 uses Link16 (not upgraded to Link16+ yet) where real time target designations are shared automatically. K237 can be integrated with Link16 and K-Link (Korean indigenous Link16) or any other local requirement. Koreans are quite flexible on this unlike USA. Various recon assets can be integrated with Link16 or KLink to share realtime target data. Not too clear about Indian systems having Nato compatible datalink (Tejas has the same issue).
5. Flexibility. This is the most interesting part. USA integrated NSM to HIMARS and M270. To my best knowledge, this was the first time a non-US asset was integrated to a US MLRS. Yet, there has not been much further development other than rumoured JSM.
Kongsberg and Hanhwa has signed a MOU for NSM integration into K239. Poland has also requested integration of indigenous munitions into K239. This sparked an idea of flexible platform and Koreans are considering/ working on a flexible solution (eg there is a conversation re integrating HAPOON and other anti-ship systems) AND Korea is also interested in making K239 more like a universal platform after seeing NASAMS in action. With KLink and access to Link16, the process should not be too difficult.
There is a conversation re extending pods and vehicle 2-3m longer to accommodate the larger munitions for longer range coastal defence systems and aerial defence system. This sounds interesting indeed but at the same time, equally dangerous.
Koreans long had weird habit of multifunctioning their systems (eg Egyptian K9 procurement is lead by Navy, for coastal defence system. They tested K9 against moving surface target at sea and had decided to purchase the system. Australian Army also tested K9 against surface targets and accepted K9).
K239 is more interesting because of its ability to accommodate larger antiship missiles. Korea is working toward an upgrade munitions for moving targets. It also produces antiair and antisurface missiles. They do have the technology to develop new munitions for moving targets (land or sea) OR integrate existing missiles to the system. They even have K-ASROC (aka Red Shark) which is rocket assisted torpedo (sufficient size to put 2 missiles per pod).
They also produce and operate KVLS (Korea Vertical Launch System on vessels).
I personally believe we have reached a technical threshold to have a land based MLRS which is of similar concept as VLS on ships where most of missiles are integrated onto a single platform.
Now the flexibility really comes in where Korea allows local missiles to be integrated. With this portfolio of various missiles integrated, K239 will have a real decent chance of becoming the universal platform where any buyer may choose any decent missiles developed by themselves or their own allies or partners increasing the operational flexibility.
For example, a coastal battery with DataLink may receive target data on a landing fleet. Rather than waiting for it to make a landing, it may choose to use Hapoon or NSM (or any similar system) to deny the access. Especially with the mobility (110km/h), with decent early warning, the asset can be deployed as a mobile coastal battery increasing cost effectiveness as well as survivability (shoot and scoot).
Alternatively, if it can integrate Meteor (air missile ca 4m length, Meteor is already a BVR missile hence no lock on at launch needed) with an initial rocket booster (KASROC already has a rocket booster), can provide a significant aerial defence umbrella. The target data is once again provided by the DataLink.
The idea might be too far fetched but it is wonderful to see that we are finally reaching a point where a universal system is possible for the first time.
The best part is, Koreans are willing to license the technology such that the system can be produced and maintained locally.

[DeamonIT]

Unles you need very high strategic mobility, which pretty much only the USMC and more broadly the US have, the K239 is the best possible MLRS: same number of pods of the M270, but on a truck chassis and with all the advantages that dealing with South Korea has (since there are very few strings attached, reason why Poland went on a shopping spree)

[ajm]

congratulations to korea for their cutting edge military development this launcher reminds me of the stars 2020

[Trinity-]

K239 is accurate and Mordenized than himars. Good for Poland.

[jeffstrong]

Poland with 300 K239 MRL has enough fire power to wipe out an enemy army with able to fire 300x12= 3, 600 227mm guided rockets fired within few seconds compared to 300 HIMARS able to fire only half that number and have to reload more frequently wasting time. K239 also gives more flexibility able to fire cheaper unguided 131mm rockets which is able to fire 300x40= 12, 000 131mm rockets within few seconds. K239 can also fire 600mm KTSSM2 tactical ballistic missiles with thermobaric warhead at 280km range with bunker buster capability thus Poland doesn't have to worry about buying SSM for awhile. K239 has more than enough range to cover Baltic Sea thus able to help Poland navy. K239 is heavier than HIMARS but also can be transported by C130 aircraft.

[sicl]

Poland ordered 218 Chunmoos but also about 15 000 rockets, mostly the 239mm ones and some 400mm ones (the exact numbers are unknown). The deal can be extended as it allows Poland to buy 288 Chunmoos in total, local misile production is also possible.

[apuuvah]

Finland should get these. Preferably on our armored 8x8 Sisu E13TP chassis.

[ejoynet]

As Korean word, “Chunmoo” has meaning of “covering the heaven”, it has the some strong points as follows. First, the exact shooting from far distance as Max. distance 300Km . Second, available with various kinds of cannonballs more than HIMARS . Third, It already have experiences of placement in the Korea peninsular by the Korean Army against North Korea Army.

[bangmo]

South Korea has been the only Western country which has prepared itself for a total war contingency. MLRS is a weapon for a total war. K-239 is good in terms of:

1) Price of rockets, guided or unguided. Poland is going to produce some locally.
2) Rocket motors and war heads. South Korea is one of the Western countries which has put a lot of effort for 'heavier and farther'. The 600 mm dia. missiles launched by the K-239 can send almost 500 kg warheads (a 'bag' of numerous tungsten BB's) up to 300 km.

The US is focused on sending a small warhead over a much longer range. (PrSM missiles).. South Korea is focused on sending heavy warheads up to 500~600 km via a suppressed ballistic.

[guaposneeze]

I've always found it counterintuitive that these kinds of MLRS pods have a 3:2 aspect ratio instead of a 2:1 aspect ratio. I guess it's a convergent evolution thing based on weight, available space, etc. But it looks like it would be much easier to have two of the XL sized rockets per pod instead of one. And the 400 mm rockets would be much less awkwardly packed. A fully packed 2x4 rocket pod would be at most a 25% weight difference vs the 2x3, so it doesn't seem like it would be a huge difference.

[robertoaseremo]

The South Korea or SOKOR have donated numbers of K136 KOORONG MLRS to the Philippines DND/ AFP

[dohj]

Cannot be airlifted by C-130, but has more firepower per vehicle. A reasonable trade-off.

[Crimerenegade]

10:55 Polish MoD spokesperson col. Platek informed on official MoD channels, that Poland will still buy approx 200-230 M142 HIMARS as addition to 288 K239 both of them will use Polish JELCZ chassis (8x8 for K239 and 6x6 for M142)
11:32 According to col. Platek there are no plans as of this moment to integrate FENIKS rocket family (Pol for: FENIX 41/45km range CEP below 10m)with K239, as additional WR-40 Langusta lunchers will be purchased (in new so called "MK2" wariant). This was also confirmed couple of times by the chief of Polish MoD