According to the State Department, authorities in Seoul want to buy up to 70 AIM-120C8 AMRAAM missiles. The package also includes spare parts, including two guidance sections, and necessary diagnostic equipment.
The final value of the purchase will be known only after a government-to-government Letter of Offer and Acceptance is signed. RTX is expected to be the weapons supplier.
The missiles are intended to arm U.S.-made combat aircraft operated by the Republic of Korea Air Force. These aircraft currently include the Lockheed Martin F-16V Fighting Falcon and F-35A Lightning II, as well as the Boeing F-15K Slam Eagle.
South Korea has been buying successive batches of RTX AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles since the first half of the 1990s. To date, Seoul has purchased about 1,000 missiles from the family under eight separate agreements.
Some of the missiles have been used during exercises and range trials. The latest approval would continue South Korea’s long-term procurement of the AMRAAM family.
RTX continues to develop the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile family to maintain the capability of successive production versions. The C8 and D3 versions are currently in production.
