The United States approved the sale of F-35 fighter jets to South Korea, a deal worth US$5.06 billion, amid tensions with North Korea, the State Department said Wednesday .
The contract, notified to Congress, provides for the sale in Seoul of up to “25” examples of this fighter plane manufactured by Lockheed Martin, considered the most efficient on the market and equipped with stealth capabilities.
The sale “will enhance South Korea’s ability to address current and future threats by providing a credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with U.S. forces,” according to a Department of Defense statement. ‘State.
It will not change “the military balance in the region”, the same source assured.
South Korea has used F-35s since 2018. The United States only approves the sale of these planes to its closest partners, with Turkey, for example, having been excluded from the F-35 program after purchasing to Russia an anti-missile defense system.
The sale comes at a time of tensions with Pyongyang, which again launched two short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday, and whose leader Kim Jong-un is in Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin.
North Korea has increased its banned weapons tests since the start of the year, the latest of which, on August 30, also concerned two short-range ballistic missiles.
The United States and South Korea regularly carry out military maneuvers, the latest of which last August angered Pyongyang.
Seoul and Washington say the maneuvers are defensive in nature, and aimed at strengthening cooperation between allies.
The United States has recently strengthened its ties with Japan and South Korea, with President Joe Biden receiving their leaders in August at Camp David.
US law requires the State Department to approve arms sales to third countries and inform Congress.