The US Department of State has approved the sale of a maximum of 73 Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors to Japan at an estimated cost of close to $3.3 billion, the DSCA said in a press release on Tuesday (Aug 27).
“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan of up 73 SM-3 Block IIA with support for an estimated cost of $3.295 billion”, the release said.
The contractor for the SM-3 Block IB missiles is Raytheon Missile Systems.
The missiles are designed to be fired by the ship-board Aegis system to intercept incoming ballistic missiles.
The Pentagon also approved new arms sales to Hungary, South Korea, Lithuania and Denmark, worth together another US$943 million.
Hungary will buy 180 AIM-120C-7 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, also made by Raytheon, the large defense contractor.
Denmark will buy low-frequency sonar systems and sonobuoys from Lockheed Martin; Lithuania will obtain 500 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, and South Korea will buy 31 MK 54 lightweight torpedoes, designed to be launched from P-8 Poseidon submarine-hunting aircraft.
