Bulletin: US approves Missile Sales to South Korea, Japan

The United State recently approved Anti-Ballistic Missile sales to South Korea and Japan. The sale is worth more than $600 million and comes in backdrop of mounting tensions with North Korea.

Key Highlights

• Objective: to support national security and foreign policy objectives of United States (US) by assisting its key allies. This will not alter basic military balance in region and will give them capability to defend itself against a growing nuclear and missile threat from North Korea.
• Reason: Recently in May second week the North Korea reportedly tested two short-range missiles which is its second launch in less than a week. Earlier in April also North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised test-firing of a new type of “tactical guided weapon“. These tests come amid halted negotiations between the United States and North Korea, which US President Donald Trump promised would put an end to North’s missile tests.
• The US’s State Department approved sale of-

1. 92 ‘Standard Missile-2’ (SM-2), which is world’s premier fleet-area air defense weapon and used by ships against air threats along with 12 missile guidance systems for a total cost of $313.9 million.
2. 160 anti-air AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) missiles and related guidance equipment to Japan for $317 million.

US and North Korea

In February 2019 second summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was held in Vietnam. It ended with a deadlock, when US side refused North Korea’s demands of easing sanctions until Pyongyang takes major steps to end its nuclear program.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2019