US approves $292M arms sale to South Korea, including AMRAAM missiles

The US Department of State approved Wednesday the sale of $292 million (about 444 billion won) worth of weapons to South Korea, including advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles.

The State Department announced it had approved a Foreign Military Sale of 70 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, known as AMRAAMs, along with two AMRAAM guidance sections. The approval also covers AMRAAM containers and control sections, support equipment, spare parts, weapons system support, and classified and unclassified software.

The State Department said the sale "will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a key ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region." It added that the sale "will improve South Korea's ability to meet current and future threats by expanding its air defense capabilities, deterring aggression in the region, and ensuring interoperability with US forces."

The department said the sale would not alter the basic military balance in the Indo-Pacific region and would have no adverse impact on US defense readiness.