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South Korea’s second military reconnaissance satellite takes off from the Kennedy Space Center in the US on April 8. (Ministry of National Defense) |
South Korea’s first military reconnaissance satellite has been declared fit for combat and is to be tasked with full-scale missions within this month, according to the country’s arms procurement agency on Wednesday.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said on the same day the spy satellite -- a key surveillance and reconnaissance asset of the country’s “kill chain” -- was deemed to be suitable for combat by the Ministry of National Defense.
The ministry completed orbital tests and other evaluations of the spy satellite in June after it was launched from the US Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in December last year.
The spy satellite carries electro-optical imaging systems that can capture images on the ground using visible light and infrared sensors that can detect surface temperatures and generate images at night.
The South Korean military plans on sending five spy satellites by next year, including ones equipped with synthetic aperture radars, which can collect fine-resolution images day and night under any weather conditions.
If all five spy satellites are put to combat use under the plan, the military will have the capability to spot signs of North Korean nuclear and missile provocations and monitor strategic targets at approximately two-hour intervals.
The second spy satellite, which uses a passive synthetic aperture radar, was put into orbit in April, with a third slated to be launched in November.
