DAPA to Purchase U.S.-Made SM-6 Long-Range Ship-to-Air Missiles for Deployment by 2034

The South Korean military has decided to purchase the U.S.-made SM-6 long-range surface-to-air missiles in order to strengthen the defense systems of its Aegis destroyers and enhance its missile defense capabilities against North Korea.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the 175th Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee was held on May 22 at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the agenda for the "Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SM-6) Model Selection Plan" was approved.

The long-range surface-to-air missile project involves acquiring the U.S.-made SM-6 missiles through a government-to-government Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract for deployment on King Jeongjo-class Aegis destroyers (KDX-III Batch-II).

In March 2023, at the 150th committee meeting, the revised basic strategy for the "SM-6 class" long-range surface-to-air missile project and the first procurement plan were approved. In November of the same year, the U.S. Department of State granted provisional approval for the sale. With the latest committee decision, the introduction of the SM-6 system has been finalized. The total project cost is approximately 530 billion won, and the project period is from 2023 to 2034.

Once the SM-6 missiles are introduced, they are expected to significantly enhance the ships' simultaneous engagement capabilities, thanks to their active guidance system with a maximum range of over 400 kilometers. The missiles are capable of intercepting aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.

The military plans to deploy the SM-6 on the Dasan Jeong Yakyong (the second King Jeongjo-class destroyer), which will be operational by the end of this year, as well as on the Daehokim Jongseo (the third vessel), which is currently under construction. The first ship, the King Jeongjo, which has already been deployed, will also be equipped with the SM-6 through a performance upgrade.

A DAPA official stated, "The air defense and missile response capabilities of the Aegis destroyers against enemy anti-ship ballistic missiles, aircraft, and cruise missiles are expected to be strengthened."

Meanwhile, at the same committee meeting, the "Military Satellite Communication System-III" system development basic plan was also reviewed and approved. This plan aims to secure a military-dedicated geostationary communication satellite as well as ground control and terminal components for the satellite, through research and development led by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD). Approximately 1.27 trillion won will be invested in this project by 2032.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.