The State Department has approved a potential $650 million deal with South Korea for the sale of 38 SM-6 Block I missiles.
The new Foreign Military Sale approval arrives after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin participated in the 55th U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Security Consultative Meeting in Seoul along with ROK Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik and other senior defense officials from both countries.
“For seven decades, this alliance has been an anchor of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and across the broader Indo-Pacific. We’re about to conclude an historic year for the United States and for the Republic of Korea, and I’m proud to say that our alliance is stronger than ever. And our deterrence commitment to the ROK remains ironclad. That includes the full range of our nuclear, conventional and missile defense capabilities,” Austin said during a press conference following the meeting.
The South Korean government in March approved plans to pursue procurement of SM-6 Block I missiles, which will be utilized on its KDX III Batch II Aegis destroyers.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region,” the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
Along with the RTX [RTX]-produced SM-6 Block I missiles, South Korea will also receive MK 21 Vertical Launch System canisters, handling equipment, spares, and training equipment.