Korean Gov’t to Establish Missile Defense System
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According to international news sources, the Korean government expressed its desire to purchase a large quantity of Patriot missiles from the US government on October 26. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which is in charge of the US Department of Defense’s overseas sale of military equipment, has confirmed the news.
The DSCA has recently submitted a report to Congress in which it said that the Korean government made an inquiry about the purchase of 112 units of anti-tactical missiles (ATMs), related equipment, components, training, and support programs. According to the report, the total sales are estimated at US$440 million.
It is expected that once the contract is signed, the ATMs will be upgraded into Guidance Enhanced Missiles-tactical (GEM-T) through a direct commercial sale between the Korean government and Raytheon, the missile manufacturer. The GEM-T is an improvement on the PAC-2 missile, the main part of Korea’s current missile defense network, and is characterized by its advanced software and radar systems to shoot down ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft.
The expression of the intention is considered to have a great significance in that it can be interpreted as a declaration that Korea will set up its own missile defense system instead of being incorporated into the United States’ MD umbrella.
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