US State Dep't approves possible sale of SM-2 missiles to S. Korea: DSCA

Published : May 18, 2019 - 16:21 Updated : May 18, 2019 - 16:21

WASHINGTON, (Yonhap) -- The US State Department has approved a possible sale of SM-2 Block IIIB ship-to-air missiles to South Korea for an estimated cost of $313.9 million, according to a US defense agency.

(Yonhap)

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) under the Department of Defense said it delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the possible missile sale to Seoul on Thursday.

South Korea has made a request to purchase up to 94 rounds of the missiles, and its Navy intends to use the SM-2 Block IIIB to supplement its existing inventory, the agency said.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by meeting the legitimate security and defense needs of one of the closest allies in the INDOPACOM Theater," the DSCA said in a press release.

"The Republic of Korea is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific, and a key partner of the United States in ensuring peace and stability in that region," it added.

If Congress approves the sale plan, the procurement process will proceed under a government-to-government foreign military sale program.

The prime contractor for the missile sale project will be the Raytheon Missile Systems Co. in Tucson, Arizona, the DSCA said. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.