The Philippines is reportedly looking to acquire an anti-ship ballistic missile developed by South Korean defence giant Hanwha Aerospace.
Analysts said such a move would indicate Seoul’s lean towards Washington’s Indo-Pacific policies and possible rising profile in regional defence cooperation with fellow US allies.
The CTM-ASBM (Chunmoo Tactical Missile-Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile) is a South Korean, truck-launched, precision-guided missile developed by Hanwha Aerospace to target enemy vessels. Derived from the CTM-MR, it is designed for coastal defense with a ~160km range, utilizing an Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker to locate ships, and is expected to be finalized by 2028.
It is fired from the K239 Chunmoo multi-launch rocket system (MLRS), which can carry two launch pods containing CTM-ASBMs.
The missile can strike targets up to 160 kilometers away. The missile features an integrated seeker designed to identify and track moving ships, providing high-precision guidance to neutralize them.
The CTM-ASBM is currently in the development phase, with completion expected around 2028, and it is being proposed for export.
The system is designed for coastal defense, providing a fast, precise, and effective tool to deter naval threats.
The CTM-ASBM is part of the broader Chunmoo weapon system family, which includes other munitions like the CTM-290 (80-290 km range) and the CTM-X (around 500 km range.
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