Exclusive: South Korea tests new KALCM air-launched cruise missile with over 500 km strike range.

According to information published by the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) on June 25, 2025, South Korea successfully conducted a safe separation flight test of its new Cheonryong long-range air-launched cruise missile (KALCM) using the FA-50 light combat aircraft. The test, conducted on June 23, 2025, at Sacheon Air Base, validated the missile's ability to detach from the aircraft in flight without compromising stability or control. While the KALCM is a dedicated armament for the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, this milestone confirms its compatibility with the FA-50 as a flexible interim testing platform.
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South Korean FA-50 light combat aircraft armed with the new Cheonryong KALCM long-range air-launched cruise missile during a test. (Picture source: South Korean DAPA)

The Cheonryong KALCM long-range air-launched cruise missile represents a significant evolution in South Korea's precision strike capabilities, developed domestically by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) in partnership with LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Aerospace. It is engineered to target high-value, hardened infrastructure such as underground bunkers and command posts. The missile features a newly designed high-thrust turbofan engine from Hanwha Aerospace, giving it a subsonic cruising speed and an operational range exceeding 500 kilometers, with potential maximum distances of over 800 kilometers depending on altitude and trajectory.

Key to the KALCM’s lethality is its warhead configuration, comprising a dual-stage tandem penetrator capable of defeating up to 8 meters of reinforced concrete, optimized for destroying deeply buried targets. Guidance is handled through a fusion of Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM), Inertial Navigation System (INS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and Imaging Infrared (IIR) for terminal accuracy, enabling a circular error probable (CEP) of just 1 to 2 meters. Its full-spectrum stealth design, including radar-absorbent materials and a low radar cross-section shape, enhances survivability in contested airspace.

An additional feature of the Cheonryong is its long-term storage readiness. It can remain fully fueled for up to 10 years, enabling rapid launch readiness during crises. Although developed with internal carriage capability for the stealth-configured KF-21, the missile’s compatibility with external hardpoints allows deployment flexibility across various platforms.

The development of the Cheonryong missile is a clear demonstration of South Korea’s accelerating maturity in advanced weapons technology. Traditionally reliant on foreign cruise missile systems such as the German Taurus KEPD 350 and the American AGM-158 JASSM, South Korea is now entering the elite group of nations capable of independently designing and manufacturing strategic long-range cruise missiles. Technologically, the Cheonryong incorporates many of the hallmarks seen in top-tier Western systems—precision navigation, deep-penetration warhead, low observability, and modular integration. However, what sets it apart is its integration within a fully indigenous defense ecosystem and its competitive production cost, which could make it highly attractive on the export market.

In comparison to the JASSM and Taurus, the Cheonryong offers a similar or slightly superior range in its advanced variant, with comparable stealth features and a highly capable warhead designed specifically for hardened targets. Its compatibility with the upcoming KF-21 and even the FA-50 as a testbed shows a strong emphasis on modular deployment, which is critical for both domestic flexibility and international sales. As South Korea continues to invest heavily in defense R&D, the Cheonryong stands as a symbol of its transition from technology importer to a global defense innovator.