Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Method Pending Congressional Approval
Suppliers Expected to Be Boeing and Lockheed Martin
The U.S. Department of State has approved the sale of Apache attack helicopters (AH-64E) and related military equipment worth $3.5 billion (approximately 4.66 trillion KRW) to South Korea, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) under the U.S. Department of Defense announced on the 19th (local time).
According to the DSCA, the South Korean government requested the purchase of ▲ up to 36 AH-64E helicopters ▲ up to 76 T700-GE-701D engines ▲ up to 36 modernized target acquisition designation sights AN/ASQ-170, among other items.
The DSCA explained, "This sale aims to improve the security of a key ally to support U.S. diplomatic and security policy objectives and to promote political stability and economic development in the Indo-Pacific region," adding, "It will enhance South Korea's military capabilities to address current and future threats by providing a reliable force to deter adversaries and participate in regional operations."
The U.S. weapon sale will be conducted through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. FMS is a method where the foreign government importing the weapons contracts with the U.S. government, and the final approval is confirmed through the U.S. Congress approval process. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are expected to supply the approved military equipment.
Previously, the South Korean Army introduced 36 AH-64E Apache helicopters from the U.S. and has deployed and operated them in missions since early January 2017. The Apache, regarded as the highest-performance attack helicopter currently available capable of day and night, all-weather operations, has a maximum cruising speed of 269 km/h (145 knots). Its armament includes Hellfire missiles and up to four Stinger air-to-air guided missiles, as well as up to 76 70mm rockets and 1,200 rounds of 30mm ammunition.
In 2022, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense approved the basic strategy to promote the AH-64E performance upgrade project to significantly enhance the capabilities of the Apache Guardian attack helicopters operated by the Army. It is expected that this project to upgrade the performance of the existing Apache helicopters will be pursued together with the additional Apache helicopters being procured from the U.S. this time.
The announcement of this weapon sale approval came on the day the joint military exercise "Eulji Freedom Shield" (UFS) between South Korea and the U.S. began. Scheduled to last ten days until the 29th, this UFS exercise aims to improve the nation's total war capability in response to gray zone provocations such as North Korea's GPS jamming, cyberattacks, and the spread of false information.
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