The National Interest:
South Korea is building new Aegis destroyers that could be used to shoot down North Korean ballistic missiles.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, or DAPA, approved the Korea Destroyer Next Generation project. The initial goal is to locally develop the destroyer by the late 2020s, with an initial budget of $1.6 billion.
“Seoul plans to deploy six KDDX destroyers by the mid or late 2030s,” according to UPI . “The total cost of developing and producing the six vessels is expected to top $6.2 billion, observers said.”
The South Korean Navy has also signed a $366 million contract with Lockheed Martin to buy an upgraded Aegis BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) system for its Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyers. The Baseline 9.C2 Aegis system, which includes an advanced SPY-1D(V) radar, is designed to stop both air and missile threats.
