South Korea has finalized a plan to procure US Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) shipborne missile interceptors by 2034 to enhance its missile defense capabilities. The Defence Project Promotion Committee, part of the Defence Acquisition Program Administration, has approved a 530 billion-won project for acquiring SM-6 long-range ship-to-air missile interceptors and related equipment. The SM-6 interceptor, designed for warships, can track and eliminate various incoming threats and has a maximum range of 460 kilometers and an altitude of up to 36 km.
The military intends to equip the Aegis destroyer ROKS Dasan Jeong Yakyong and another vessel of the same class, ROKS Daeho Kim Jong Seo, with the SM-6 interceptors. These interceptors will also be installed on the already-deployed ROKS Jeongjo the Great through future capability upgrades. The project aims to bolster the ship-to-air defense capabilities of Aegis destroyers against enemy anti-ship ballistic missiles, aircraft, and cruise missiles, as well as enhance their anti-ballistic missile defense.
The United States had approved a USD 650 million sale of up to 38 SM-6 missiles and related equipment to South Korea through the Foreign Military Sales program in November 2023. The recent announcement by the Defence Acquisition Program Administration indicates a revised timeline for the acquisition, now set for 2023-34, as opposed to the original plan of 2023-31. Additionally, the committee has greenlit a research and development plan for a new military communications satellite system to replace older satellite and ground equipment, with a projected cost of about 1.27 trillion won.
