Deliveries of PAC-3 air-defence systems to RoKAF completed

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 12 December that deliveries of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor missiles and upgraded ground equipment to the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) has been completed amid Seoul’s efforts to enhance the country’s air defences to counter North Korea’s growing ballistic missile capabilities.

The agency said deliveries of the upgraded air-defence systems were completed in November – 10 months ahead of schedule – under a Patriot capability enhancement programme launched in March 2015 and carried out in close co-operation with the United States and South Korean companies.

DAPA said the detection range of the PAC-3’s radar system is twice that of the RoKAF’s previously deployed PAC-2 system, adding that the PAC-3 can also track and engage more targets simultaneously.

DAPA announced on 12 December the completion of deliveries of PAC-3 interceptor missiles and upgraded ground equipment to the RoKAF. (DAPA)

Moreover, the PAC-3 system, which features improved information processing and communication capabilities, can, unlike the PAC-2, engage ballistic missile warheads directly using a hit-to-kill interceptor, and thus reduce potential secondary damage on the ground. The PAC-2 is designed to engage ballistic missiles with a blast/fragmentation warhead.

DAPA chief Wang Jung-hong said the early delivery completion of the PAC-3 systems – the core equipment of the Korean Missile Defense System – “has enabled us to build a more effective [air-]defence system”.