South Korea to Purchase Patriot Missiles

The South Korean Defense Ministry said today it plans beginning next year to replace air-to-ground Nike missiles with U.S.-made Patriot missiles, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, June 29).

It is not yet known whether South Korea would purchase older missiles from Germany or new ones from the United States, according to AFP.

“We may buy U.S.-made Patriot missiles from Germany,” a Defense Ministry official said. The missiles would be used to intercept a North Korean missile or aircraft attack.

South Korea originally planned to purchase Patriots from the United States in 2000, but cost disputes caused the plan to be scrapped (Agence France-Presse/DefenseNews.com, July 5).

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