S. Korea to roll out new multiple rocket launcher by 2013

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's weapons procurement agency said Monday it is developing a new multiple rocket launcher with a prototype to be rolled out by 2013 to further neutralize long-range North Korean artillery.
The new rocket launcher, with a maximum shooting range of 80 kilometers, is also aimed at bolstering the artillery capability of the South Korean military, said officials at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
North Korea has deployed hundreds of long-range artillery pieces along the border with South Korea, putting the South's capital of Seoul within striking distance.
The North's long-range guns and rockets are the biggest defense concern for South Korea as the capital and its neighboring areas, home to nearly half of the South's population of 50 million, lie about 50km from the heavily armed border.
"The next-generation multiple rocket launcher is designed to fire both guided and unguided propellant rockets in faster succession," said a DAPA official.
As part of efforts to increase people's awareness about the development of the new rocket launcher, the DAPA is opening up a naming contest to the public online.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high following the North's two deadly military attacks last year, which killed a total of 50 South Koreans.