Seoul to acquire more stealth jets, interceptors to counter North Korean threats | NK News
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September 27, 2026Sep 27, 2026

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Seoul to acquire more stealth jets, interceptors to counter North Korean threats

$5.6 billion plan aims to bolster defenses against DPRK missiles and boost domestic drone development

South Korea will purchase additional F-35A stealth fighters and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptors from the U.S. to defend against North Korean missiles and other emerging threats, the country’s defense procurement agency announced Monday.

The Defense Project Promotion Committee has approved five projects amounting to some $5.6 billion (about 7.3 trillion won), according to a Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) press release.

The $2.9 billion (3.75 trillion won) project to acquire more Lockheed Martin F-35A jets through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program over the next five years comes as the ROK seeks to bolster its three-axis system