South Korea breaks neutrality, sending artillery and missiles to Ukraine
The strategic partnership agreement between Russia and North Korea has had a very positive effect on Ukraine. This concerns breaking South Korea's reluctance to supply weapons to Ukraine. Here’s what one of the world's giants in arms production will donate to Ukraine first.
South Korean OSINT analyst Mason_8178, in his post on X (formerly Twitter), estimates that the first delivery from South Korea for the Armed Forces of Ukraine may include 105 mm and 155 mm artillery ammunition and AT-1K Raybolt anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM).
Artillery ammunition - a key resource for Ukraine
Ukraine is currently dependent on artillery ammunition supplies from the West. One of the largest producers of 155 mm artillery ammunition is South Korea, which has powerful production capabilities due to its geopolitical situation.
Until now, South Korea has avoided active engagement in support of Ukraine due to its neutrality policy. However, this does not mean anything was happening, as South Korea indirectly helped Ukraine by replenishing the American ammunition stockpile.
This time, the assistance will be direct, and hundreds of thousands of shells may reach Ukraine, which could be crucial at the end of 2024 if Americans, due to internal situations in the country (presidential elections, which Donald Trump may win), halt arms supplies.
The main producer of artillery ammunition in South Korea, Poongsan Corporation, offers a full assortment of ammunition ranging from the simplest solutions to those capable of engaging targets at a distance of 60 km.
In the first group, we have unguided KM107 shells, a variant of the American M107 shells containing 6.6 kg of TNT encased in a cast steel body with a percussion fuse. They can engage targets at a distance of up to 30 km in the case of artillery systems with a long gun.
Additionally, South Korea has K305 DPICM shells with a similar range but with a cluster warhead containing a mix of 88 bomblets based on the American DPICM. The second type is the K307 shells weighing 46.4 kg equipped with a gas generator, increasing their firing range to 41 km. A cluster variant K310 containing 49 K221 DPICM bomblets was also developed in this case.
Theoretically, the delivery of K315 shells, a recent innovation, is also possible. These are shells with a gas generator and a rocket booster capable of striking targets at a distance of 60 km. Similar to the American M549A1, they have a slightly reduced TNT charge compared to the K307 due to the need to allocate space for the rocket motor and fuel.
AT-1K Raybolt - the Asian FGM-148 Javelin
The AT-1K Raybolt is an ATGM introduced into service in the Korean armed forces in 2017 and has also been purchased by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Structurally, the AT-1K Raybolt, similar to the FGM-148 Javelin, is a "fire and forget" weapon attacking targets from above with a powerful tandem HEAT warhead capable of penetrating up to 890 mm of armour behind reactive armour, according to the manufacturer.
This ensures it can eliminate any Russian tank without the slightest problem and provides high safety for its operators, who can immediately evacuate after firing. Additionally, the system can be safely fired from enclosed spaces.
The target is hit by an optoelectronic head, which sees the thermal image of the target. The system has a striking range of up to 3 km, which is less than that of, for example, late Javelins or the Akeron MP, but it makes the AT-1K Raybolt a lightweight solution, with the total weight of the launcher and missile being around 20 kg.
