TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- South Korea has confirmed plans to buy Israel's Green Pine radar warning system.
The deal, estimated at about $200 million, is the largest weapons deal clinched between Israel and South Korea.
The deal has been confirmed by Israel Aerospace Industries but it refused to disclose any additional details. Seoul's media, however, reported that South Korea's Defense Acquisition Administration would place the order for two Greek Pine Block-B systems by the end of October.
The state-of-the-art system serves as the radar for Israel's principle missile interceptor system, the Arrow-2.
Built by Elta Systems, a subsidiary of the state-owned IAI, the Green Pine radars are said to have a detection range of more than 300 miles, enough to cover most of South Korea's territory, and protect the country from missile threats from North Korea.
The South Korean ministry of defense moved ahead with the decision to buy the Israeli system after "surveying various products from different companies and running a number of tests," the Israel-based newspaper Haaretz reported.
Green Pine won the bid after edging out its chief competitor Thales of France.
Defense officials in South Korea said the Green Pine units were expected to become operation by 2012 .
"The system will significantly improve our anti-missile defense capabilities," said King Young-San, spokesman for South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
Reports said Elta plans to incorporate Green Pine into the South Korean missile shield system, which is based on an American interception system such as the Patriot, built by Lockheed Martin of the United States.
South Korea is also in discussions with IAI for the possibility of buying the Arrow missile defense system.
In November 2008, Seoul took delivery of a second-hand Patriot air-defense system from Germany.
Since then, nuclear-armed North Korea has staged a rash of missile test-firings, heightening concerns in the south that Pyongyang was becoming more aggressive amid political uncertainty about what is happening in the hermit regime.
The IAI had previously lost a bid to sell South Korea its Falcon radar warning system after the United States "pressured the South Koreans to favor American suppliers," Haaretz reported.
North Korea is said to have about 600 Scud ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets in South Korea and possibly, in certain parts of Japan.
Pyongyang also possesses about 200 Roding-1 missiles that could reach Tokyo.
Earlier this year, North Korea tested its long-range Taepodong-2 missiles over the Sea of Japan. More than a dozen missiles have been fired since then, despite international opposition that propelled the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions in June.
