(Adnkronos) – The United States has offered to sell South Korea nearly $5 billion worth of airborne warning and control systems equipment and systems, including four aircraft. The State Department announced it had approved in principle the sale of four E-7 Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft, 10 engines and other support systems and components, at an estimated cost of $4.92 billion.
The announcement comes hours after Pyongyang fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, the South Korean military reported today.
“The proposed supplies will improve the Republic of Korea’s ability to meet current and future threats by providing enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), early warning and airborne control capabilities,” the State Department said in a statement.
The reporting and control aircraft, known as Wedgetails, would allow South Korea to detect missiles faster and at greater distances than ground-based radar systems.
