US approves PAC-3 sale to Seoul

By Yi Whan-woo

PAC-3 battery

The U.S. government has approved a possible sale to South Korea of 136 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3 interceptor missiles and related equipment, according to its defense agency.

The approval comes amid South Korea’s move to upgrade its PAC-2 air defense system by 2020 because of continuing military threats from North Korea.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in Washington, D.C. said on Thursday (local time) that the U.S. Department of State approved the sale for an estimated $1.405 billion.

“South Korea is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific, and a key partner of the U.S. in ensuring peace and stability in that region,” the DSCA said.

“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the U.S. by meeting the legitimate security and defense needs of an ally and partner nation.”

The DSCA is under the U.S. Department of Defense. It provides financial and technical assistance, transfer of defense materials, training and services to allies, and promotes military-to-military contacts on behalf of the U.S. government.

The PAC-3 is more advanced than the PAC-2. It holds more interceptors, uses hit-to-kill technology, and has an onboard radar transmitter and guidance computer.

South Korea has about 300 PAC-2 missiles. In particular, it purchased 48 second-hand PAC-2 elements from Germany in 2007 rather than new PAC-3 units largely due to budget constraints.

The PAC-2 is designed to maneuver close to the incoming target and detonate its explosive fragmentation warhead, but it is primarily for use against aircraft with limited capability to deter missiles.

“On the other hand, the PAC-3 interceptor is designed for hit-to-kill performance utilizing an accurate millimeter wave seeker combined with an agile airframe,” a defense ministry spokesman said in Seoul on Friday, on condition of anonymity.

Seoul also has been seeking to purchase the PAC-3 missiles because they are a key part of its plan for its indigenous Korean Air and Missile Defense system.

The PAC-3 is a guided missile system with long-range, medium- to high-altitude, all-weather capabilities designed to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft.

“This sale will increase interoperability between the ROK’s ground and sea-based (Aegis) ballistic missile defense forces and U.S. Forces Korea, which not only affects ROK national security but also the security of the U.S. personnel assigned in the ROK,” the DSCA said. The ROK stands for Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official name.

“This sale will provide the ROK with the capability to defeat lower tier ballistic missile defense threats and will decrease the ROK’s reliance on the deployment of U.S. combat forces to maintain stability in the region," it said.

It added the proposed sale of this equipment and support would not alter the region’s basic military balance.