South Korea To Buy 90 More Taurus-class Missiles in Return For Electronic Products

[Zarvan]

Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile being loaded on South Korean F-15k jet

South Korean government has allowed electronics companies to join a weapons procurement project for the first time.

South Korea plans to buy additional 90 air-to-ground Taurus-class missiles from Germany and have asked local technology firms to submit a list of products that they wish to sell to the German firm, Korea Herald quoted unnamed sources as saying Tuesday.

The Korea Electronics Association, a lobby group for electronics and technology firms, asked its members to submit the list by Thursday, the source said.

"We can sell personal computers and electric parts to Taurus in exchange for our military's purchase of Taurus missiles," the source said on condition of anonymity.

The Taurus missile mounted on F-15K fighter planes can hit key facilities in Pyongyang from the sky over Daejeon, 164 kilometers south of Seoul, they said. The missile has a range of 500 kilometers.

Under an "offset" procurement program, a foreign contractor is obliged to undertake local investment or buy local products when they sign a weapons deal with the South Korean government. So far, local defense-related firms have mainly benefited from such arrangements, but the government decided to allow electronics, electric and aerospace firms to join the program, according to the insider.

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