Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
US okays Harpoon missile sale
By Yi Whan-woo
The U.S. government has approved the sale of submarine-launched missiles and associated equipment to South Korea, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the U.S.
The DSCA, which operates under the U.S Department of Defense, said Wednesday that it notified Congress of the proposed sale of the UGM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles and 13 Block II upgrade kits for an estimated cost of $110 million.
It also said the approval was announced by the U.S. Department of the State. The prime contractor is Boeing, it added.
According to the Seoul government, the U.S Department of State is responsible for determining whether to export highly sensitive military arms and related equipment in coordination with the Pentagon.
“It is vital to U.S. interests to assist our South Korean ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the DSCA said in a press release. “The proposed sale will provide a defensive capability while enhancing interoperability with the U.S. and other allied forces.”
The South Korean Navy has sought to use the Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles to supplement its existing Harpoon missile capabilities in order to better deter North Korea’s military threats.
The Harpoon Block II missiles can strike a target within a 248-kilometer range, which is twice as far as the previous model.
“The acquisition of the Harpoon Block II missiles and support will supplement current weapon inventories and bring the Republic of Korea’s Naval Anti-Surface Warfare performance up to existing regional baselines,” the DSCA said. “
The proposed sale comes after the U.S. government approved the sale of the Harpoon Block II missiles and associated equipment to Japan in May on the occasion of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Washington D.C.
The U.S. has been stepping up efforts to bolster its trilateral security alliance with South Korea and Japan as part of its Asia rebalancing strategy. It is mostly seen as a move to contain the rising presence of China.