Defense Purchases

[Anchor Lead]

Talks on Korea's planned purchase of state-of-the-art U.S. strategic weapons are gaining speed following an agreement between the leaders of South Korea and the United States made at the latest bilateral summit. Here's a look at the kinds of weapons could be positioned in Korea soon.

[Pkg]

The most likely reconnaissance weapon to be deployed in Korea is the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or Joint STARS. It can identify 600 land targets simultaneously to help fighter jets and missile and artillery units strike with higher precision. The Joint STARS is ideal for striking North Korea's mobile missile launch pads and multiple rocket launchers. The system is also essential for the Kill Chain system, which can conduct pre-emptive strikes on North Korean missile bases in times of war, as the development of reconnaissance satellites for monitoring the North has been behind schedule. Talks are also underway on whether to purchase or build nuclear-powered submarines.

[Soundbite] Donald Trump(U.S. President)

A high-ranking Cheong Wa Dae official said that the two countries were discussing the positioning of state-of-the-art reconnaissance assets and nuclear-powered submarines. They may include the anti-submarine patrol aircraft Poseidon to respond to the North's submarine provocations and unmanned aerial vehicle Sentinel for removing the North Korean leadership. The two countries are also considering positioning SM-3 missiles, which can intercept North Korean ballistic missiles at higher altitudes than the THAAD system, and Patriot PAC-3 interceptors for protecting the Seoul metropolitan area. The two nations may agree to expand the deployment of the early warning and control aircraft Peace Eye and F-35A stealth fighters, which will be positioned in stages starting next year. Currently, four units of the Peace Eye aircraft are already in operation in Korea. Defense experts estimate the price of these state-of-the-art weapons to reach 10 trillion won.