South Korea is ramping up its strike capabilities as the US State Department cleared a potential $34-million foreign military sale of RTX-manufactured AGM-65G2 Maverick tactical missiles.
The request covers 44 missiles, along with logistics and program support, aimed at expanding Seoul’s air-to-ground weapons arsenal.
“This proposed sale will improve the Republic of Korea’s capability to meet current and future threats by increasing its critical air defense capability to deter aggression in the region and to ensure interoperability with US forces,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency noted in a statement.
The proposed Maverick transfer comes as part of a broader US push to reinforce South Korea’s defenses and deepen the two countries’ security ties amid regional threats from China and North Korea.
In September, Washington reactivated a World War II–era squadron to oversee MQ-9 Reaper drone operations in the country and was spotted deploying its Indirect Fire Protection Capability mobile air defense system to the peninsula for the first time.
Maverick Missiles
First deployed by the US military in 1972, the AGM-65 Maverick is a tactical guided missile used for close air support, interdiction, and defense suppression missions.
It is designed to destroy large and heavy targets, including armored vehicles, ships, bunkers, and fixed installations.
Meanwhile, the G2 variant that Seoul requested features an imaging infrared guidance system, a heavyweight penetrator warhead, and upgraded software for improved target tracking.
When launched from a high-altitude aircraft, such as the F-16 already in service with the Republic of Korea Air Force, the missile has a reported speed of 1,150 kilometers (715 miles) per hour and a range of approximately 27 kilometers (17 miles).
