The department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said Monday that it approved a possible Foreign Military Sale requested by the South Korean government for 24 MH-60R helicopters, along with related weapons and equipment.
The estimated cost of the helicopter package is $3 billion.
The State Department said the proposed sale would improve South Korea’s capability “to meet current and future threats” by strengthening “the multi-mission helicopter capability of its Navy.”
It separately approved a $1.2 billion AH-64E Apache upgrade program, saying it would strengthen the South Korean Army’s attack helicopter capability.
The department said the proposed sales would support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of a major ally that is “a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region.”
It added that the sales would not alter the basic military balance in the region and would have no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness.
The approvals do not mean final contracts have been signed. Under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales process, the proposed sales must go through congressional notification procedures before any deal is finalized.
The approvals also come days after Trump left open questions over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan following his recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week.
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