MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2022) South Korea will purchase SM-6 missile interceptors worth 760 billion won ($606 million) from the United States amid North Korea's recent missile tests, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Defense Project Promotion Committee.
Seoul reportedly approved the purchase of the interceptors as part of a foreign military sale program by 2031.
According to the South Korean news agency, the SM-6 interceptors with a range of up to 460 kilometers (284 miles) are expected to be installed on the South navy's KDX-III guided-missile destroyers scheduled to be put into operation in the next few years.
In addition, the authorities decided to allocate 1.5 trillion won to strengthen the capability of the Korea Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM), the news agency said. Under the initiative, the updated KTSSM-II missile based on a transporter elector and launcher will be developed by 2034.
In addition, Seoul decided to allocate 960 billion won to modernize UH and HH-60 helicopters, the news outlet reported.
The changes came after Pyongyang carried out several missile tests earlier this year, including the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in March.
