South Korea has decided to upgrade its long-range missile arsenal with European-made weapons, after the Pentagon did not approve the sale of similar U.S. technology.
Seoul's state procurement agency on Wednesday said authorities have approved a plan to buy the air-launched cruise missiles made by the German-Swedish Taurus Systems joint venture.
The Yonhap news agency said the number of missiles and proposed budget have not been confirmed.
Seoul had expressed interest in the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles made by U.S. aerospace company Lockheed Martin. But the U.S. Defense Department has not approved the sale of the missile, which is classified as a strategic weapon.
The GPS-guided missile, which will be used with South Korea's F-15K strike fighters, has a range of 500 kilometers. Its bunker-busting warheads can penetrate up to 6 meters of reinforced concrete.
South Korea has been looking to expand the range of its missile arsenal to counter what it says is a threat from its heavily armed neighbor, North Korea.
Seoul's state procurement agency on Wednesday said authorities have approved a plan to buy the air-launched cruise missiles made by the German-Swedish Taurus Systems joint venture.
The Yonhap news agency said the number of missiles and proposed budget have not been confirmed.
Seoul had expressed interest in the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles made by U.S. aerospace company Lockheed Martin. But the U.S. Defense Department has not approved the sale of the missile, which is classified as a strategic weapon.
The GPS-guided missile, which will be used with South Korea's F-15K strike fighters, has a range of 500 kilometers. Its bunker-busting warheads can penetrate up to 6 meters of reinforced concrete.
South Korea has been looking to expand the range of its missile arsenal to counter what it says is a threat from its heavily armed neighbor, North Korea.
