State Dept. approves SM-2 missile sale to S. Korea

WASHINGTON, July 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department has approved the proposed sale of 17 SM-2 Block IIIB missiles and missile containers to South Korea for $65 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced Tuesday.

Congress was notified of the proposed sale on Friday, the agency said in a statement.

The sale would also involve personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, U.S. government and contractor technical assistance and other related logistics support.

"The Republic of Korea (ROK) is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific and a key partner of the United States in ensuring peace and stability in that region," the agency said. "It is vital to U.S. national interests to assist our Korean alley in developing and maintain (sic) a strong and ready self-defense capability."

The Korean navy would use the missiles to supplement its existing SM-2 Block IIIA/IIIB inventory.

Manufactured by Raytheon, the SM-2 is a fleet-area air defense weapon, providing anti-air warfare and limited anti-surface warfare capability against anti-ship missiles and aircraft out to 90 nautical miles and as high as 65,000 feet.