S. Korea to buy US missiles for Aegis destroyers in $300mn deal – Seoul

South Korea plans to buy dozens of US-built ship-to-air missiles, in an order worth about $300 million, Seoul’s arms buying agency said on Friday. Seoul plans to boost air defenses against North Korea, even as it moves to reduce tension with Pyongyang.  Since 2013, South Korea has bought Standard Missile-2s, developed by Raytheon Co, in installments to equip three Aegis destroyers preparing to be deployed in the mid-2020s, Reuters said. Seoul aimed to ramp up the capability to detect and track missiles from the North. The latest missile purchase decision by a defense acquisition panel paves the way for delivery of the final batch, according to an official of South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).