South Korea To Buy F-15SE, Missiles Worth $823 Million

With tensions rising in the Asia Pacific region over N. Korea’s missile tests, the south has requested the U.S for aircraft and weapons worth $823 million.

The U.S Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress May 21 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea (ROK) for weapons in support of a potential Direct Commercial Sale of F-15 SE aircraft.

South Korea has also requested the sale other weapons include 274 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), 6 AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM Guidance Sections, 362 Joint Directed Attack Munition (JDAM) Tail Kits, 780 JDAM Tail Kits, 6 MK-82 Filled, Inert Bombs , 542 Small Diameter Bombs, 170 General Purpose Bombs,  4 Inert Bombs, 154 AIM-9X-2 (Blk II) Tactical Missiles, 33 CATM AIM-9X-2 (Blk II) Captive Air Training Missiles  and 14 AIM-9X-2 (Blk II) Tactical Guidance Unit.

These aircraft and weapons will provide the ROK with a credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with US forces. 

The ROK will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and strengthen its homeland defense. Additionally, operational control (OPCON) will transfer from US Forces Korea/Combined Forces Command (USFK/CFC) to the ROK’s Korea Command (KORCOM) in 2015. 

This upgrade will enhance the capability needed to support OPCON transfer. 

The principal contractors will be Raytheon Missile Systems Company in Tucson, Arizona; The Boeing Corporation in St Louis, Missouri; Lockheed Martin Missile and Space in Bethesda, Maryland; and Kaman Precision Products in Middletown, Connecticut. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with these potential sales.