Military mulls Taurus missile variant for arming of FA-50 light combat jet

The military is reviewing whether it is possible to arm its FA-50 light combat fighters with a new variant of the Taurus air-to-surface missile to enhance combat capabilities, a military official said Thursday.

Europe-based Taurus Systems is now developing a new version of the Taurus missile, numbered 350K-2, for possible use for the Air Force and the Army, the official said.

The target specifications for the new variant under development are a range of 400 kilometers and a cruise speed of Mach 0.6~0.9, according to the official.

The original version, the Taurus KEPD 350, has a range in excess of 500 km.

The new missile may also be fit to equip the Air Force's main fleet of F-15K's and KF-16s.

"If the FA-50s are armed with mid-range Taurus missiles, it will enhance their combat power as well as exportability," another official said. (Yonhap)