Poland boosts military might with K239 Chunmoo rocket tests
At the Central Air Force Training Range in Ustka, the first combat rocket firings from K239 Chunmoo (HOMAR-K) multi-launch rocket systems were conducted. These exercises were carried out by soldiers from the 18th Artillery Brigade. We present the capabilities of this competitor to HIMARS, which the Polish army is acquiring from South Korea.
Below you can see photos of the firing at the Central Air Force Training Range in Ustka, depicting the launch of the 239 mm CGR-080 rocket. These rockets are the main strike force of the K239 Chunmoo (HOMAR-K) launcher, which, alongside the M142 HIMARS systems, form the "long arm" of the Polish Land Forces.
K239 Chunmoo – a key weapon of the Land Forces
The K239 Chunmoo is a multi-launcher system that employs precise CGR-080 rockets with a calibre of 239 mm. These rockets can be equipped with various types of warheads: high-explosive, cluster with 300 bomblets, penetrating, or thermobaric.
The CGR-080 rockets have a range of approximately 50 miles and maintain an accuracy of under 50 feet. This precision is achieved through a classic guidance system based on satellite and inertial navigation. One launcher carries a total of 12 such rockets, grouped in two containers of six. This means the South Korean system has twice the explosive power of the American system.
Furthermore, the K239 Chunmoo launcher can carry two more vital short-range ballistic missiles for Polish defence, the CTM-290 calibre 600 mm. These missiles are capable of carrying warheads weighing about 1,100 pounds over a distance of up to 180 miles, with unparalleled accuracy of up to 7 feet. These are ballistic missiles, against which defence is very challenging, as demonstrated by the strikes from Russian Iskander-M missiles on targets in Ukraine.
However, this is not the end of the HOMAR-K system's capabilities, as it is also set to be enhanced in the future with Polish M-21 "FENIKS" rockets, calibre 122 mm, which have a range of about 25 miles and are used on WR-40 Langusta systems.
