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| PAC-3 missile launcher, note four missiles per canister |
South Korea will procure new Patriot missiles PAC-3 capable of intercepting North Korea's ballistic missiles starting in 2016. The Defense Project Promotion Committee chaired by Minister Kim Kwan-jin reached the decision on Wednesday, March 12, 2014. South Korea will upgrade its present PAC-2 air defense system and buy PAC-3 missiles next year to improve its anti-ballistic missile capability against North Korea.
South Korea currently operates 48 PAC-2 Patriot missiles imported from Germany, and seeks to adopt the advanced interceptors as part of plans to build the indigenous Korea Missile Defense System. The missiles have an interception rate of less than 40 percent.
The project aims to buy "hit-to-kill" PAC-3 missiles with improved accuracy, and upgrade the PAC-2 fire control system to make it able to fire off both PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles.
Read the full story at Army Recognition