The Defense Project Promotion Committee endorsed the plan to procure the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptors through a government-to-government foreign military sale program by 2031, Defense Acquisition Program Administration said, according to the Yonhap news agency.
The approval followed a series of North Korean missile tests earlier this year, including its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on March 24.
Under the project, SM-6 interceptors are to be installed on the Navy's Aegis-equipped KDX-III destroyers to be deployed in the coming years. Manufactured by the US defense firm Raytheon Technologies Corp., the SM-6 is known to have a range of up to 460 kilometers.
The committee also approved a revision to a project to acquire a new homegrown tactical surface-to-surface missile in a move to enhance its survivability.
South Korea started the mass production of the first type of ground-based Korean Tactical Surface to Surface Missile (KTSSM) in 2020. Under the revision, it plans to complete the development of the KTSSM-II to be run on a transporter elector and launcher by 2034 with a budget of 1.5 trillion won.
The country also approved a 960 billion-won plan to upgrade the UH and HH-60 choppers to improve their operational capacities by 2030.
KI/PR