A U.S. defense industry magazine says the South Korean Air Force will be equipped with upgraded KF-16 fighters carrying precision-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) by the end of the year.

Defense News quoted a military source in Seoul as saying Thursday that the upgrades will initially be applied to a fleet of about 20 newer Block 52 fighter models obtained between 2003 and 2004.

The source added that the South Korean Air Force has been working together with the U.S. Air Force for the past several years on projects to improve the KF-16's abilities to carry advanced guided weapons, including JDAMs.

The source said once deployed, the KF-16 fleet, armed with JDAMs and backed by long-range F-15K fighters, will play a key role in neutralizing North Korea's long-range artillery systems deployed near the heavily fortified inter-Korean border.

The JDAM is a guidance tail kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurate, adverse weather munitions.