Engineering:Raybolt
The LIG Nex1 Raybolt (Korean: 현궁 "Hyungung") is a South Korea n man-portable third-generation anti-tank guided missile built by LIG Nex1. It has fire-and-forget capability using an infrared imaging seeker and has a tandem-warhead to defeat explosive reactive armor. The Raybolt has a top attack and direct attack modes.[1] It is the first ATGM to be built by South Korea and entered mass production in June 2017. The Raybolt is positioned by its manufacturer as a competitor and peer with the American FGM-148 Javelin and Israeli Spike-MR ATGMs.[2]
Development
Development began in 2007 and began in earnest in 2010, as South Korea's existing anti-tank guided missiles were reaching the end of their 25-year service life.[3] LIG Nex1's priorities during development were world-class performance, weight, export competitiveness through localization of core components, cost-efficiency, and reliability.[4] The development was not completely smooth, and for the first five years there were several failures with "Captive Flight Tests".[4] In a retrospective on the development of the Raybolt, one engineer assessed the greatest challenge as quality assurance.[4]
The Raybolt was developed to replace obsolete anti-tank weapons, such as recoilless rifles and TOW missiles.[5] South Korea's 1970s-vintage TOW missiles lacked tandem-warheads and would not be able to destroy modern North Korean tanks equipped with explosive reactive armor (ERA).[5]
The Raybolt is produced by LIG Nex1 in cooperation with South Korea's Agency for Defense Development, under the auspices of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).[1] About 95% of the Raybolt is made in South Korea.[6]
The Raybolt underwent successful test evaluations in Saudi Arabia in December 2013 and January 2014.[4] The Raybolt contract is expected to be worth 1 trillion wan through till 2023.[6]
Features
The Raybolt's most notable feature is an imaging infrared seeker providing fire-and-forget capability. It also has a tandem-warhead and both direct attack and top attack modes.[1] The Raybolt uses a smokeless propellant and can be fired from within a building.[1] The Raybolt missile and Observation and Launch Unit (OLU) can either be vehicle-mounted or carried as a manpack by two men.[1] There are also discussions to mount the Raybolt on helicopters.[4] The OLU has day/night capability via a thermal sight.[1] The missile uses a soft launch to escape the barrel before activating the main flight motor.[3] It is scheduled to be acquired over the 2018-2022 timeframe.[5]
The Raybolt system weight about 20 kg (44 lb),[5] which its manufacturer describes as lighter than peers.[2] The Raybolt's range is 2.5[7] or 3 km.[6] The Raybolt's can penetrate 900 mm of RHA after HEAT,[8] which is described as "excellent performance" by DAPA.[5]
The Raybolt has been marketed to India .[9] Park Tae-sik, senior manager at LIG Nex1, also reports interest from South America.[3]
The missile can be carried by a two-man crew or fitted to fire from vehicles. The South Korean Army uses an anti-tank version of the Kia Motors 4×4 Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV) called the K-153C; the roof is equipped with a launcher turret with two missiles ready to fire and four additional missiles carried inside the vehicle.[7]
Operational history
The Raybolt was delivered to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces in 2017.[5] It will be used by the Korean Army and the ROK Marine Corps.[4] In 2018, the Raybolt was used in the Yemeni Civil War by Saudi-backed forces against the Houthis.[10]
Operators
Launch platforms
- Man-portable launcher
- 4×4 K-153C ATGM carrier
- Rotem KW2 Scorpion Anti-Tank Vehicle
See also
- FGM-148 Javelin
- Spike (missile)
- Type 01 LMAT
- HJ-12
- Missile Moyenne Portée
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Medium Range Infantry Missile Raybolt". 26 September 2016. https://www.lignex1.com/eng/common/download.jsp?filePath=/upload/2016/09/26/2016092615022028486.pdf&fileName=1_Raybolt.pdf.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "S Korea's Raybolt ATGM Set To Compete Against Israeli Spike, US Javelin". 2 June 2017. http://www.defenseworld.net/news/19459/S_Korea_s_Raybolt_ATGM_Set_To_Compete_Against_Israeli_Spike__US_Javelin.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lee Seok-jong (22 October 2014). "빛과 같은 화살로 날아가 ‘꽝’대전차 임무 지형도가 바뀐다" (in Korean). http://kookbang.dema.mil.kr/kookbangWeb/view.do?ntt_writ_date=20141023&parent_no=1&bbs_id=BBSMSTR_000000001060.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Medium Range Infantry Missile Raybolt" (in Korean). January–February 2014. pp. 6-15. https://www.lignex1.com/userdata/webzine/201401/PDF_201401_1392883469993_1.pdf.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Dagyum Ji (1 June 2017). "Seoul to mass-produce indigenous anti-tank guided missile: DAPA". NK News. https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/seoul-to-mass-produce-indigenous-anti-tank-guided-missile-dapa/.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Arthur, Gordon (7 December 2016). "Korea ignites Raybolt missile". Hong Kong. https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/korea-ignites-raybolt-missile-production/.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 South Korean Raybolt ATGM missile in service with Saudi Arabia army. Army Recognition. 1 October 2018.
- ↑ Kelvin Wong (12 September 2018). "DX Korea 2018: RoKA unveils 4×4 K-153C ATGM carrier - Jane's 360". Jane's International Defence Review. https://www.janes.com/article/82936/dx-korea-2018-roka-unveils-4-4-k-153c-atgm-carrier.
- ↑ "True Dream Partner - LIG Nex1". 28 March 2016. https://www.lignex1.com/eng/common/bPrint.jsp?seq=1100.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Jeremy Binnie (26 June 2018). "South Korean Raybolt spotted in Yemen". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. https://www.janes.com/article/81348/south-korean-raybolt-spotted-in-yemen.
- ↑ "Opinion: South Korea – the next big defence exporter?". 19 September 2018. https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defence-notes/opinion-south-korea-next-big-defence-exporter/.
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