- The U.S. State Department approved a potential $111.8 million sale of 624 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs to South Korea.
- The new deal adds to a previous sale of 387 bombs valued at $18.8 million.
The State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea for an additional batch of GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB-I) and associated equipment, with a total estimated cost of $111.8 million.
According to a press release from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Republic of Korea has requested to purchase 624 GBU-39/B SDB-I munitions.
These will be added to an earlier Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case that included 387 units and was valued at $18.8 million — a deal that did not meet the congressional notification threshold at the time.
The DSCA delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this expanded sale, which includes not only the additional munitions but also aircraft components, spares, explosive charges and devices, propellants, consumables, and repair support. The original package also covered U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services.
In a statement, DSCA said: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The Boeing Corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, will serve as the principal contractor for the project. There are no known offset agreements in place at this time, though the possibility of such arrangements will depend on future negotiations between Boeing and the Korean government.
As noted by the agency, the sale will enhance South Korea’s ability to deter regional threats and increase its air-to-ground precision strike capacity. “This proposed sale will improve the Republic of Korea’s capability to meet current and future threats by increasing its critical air defense capability to deter aggression in the region and to ensure interoperability with U.S. forces,” the DSCA added.
South Korea already possesses SDB-I systems and is expected to integrate the additional units without difficulty. The DSCA confirmed that the sale will not affect the regional military balance and that no U.S. personnel will need to be deployed to support the transaction.
There will be no negative impact on U.S. defense readiness resulting from the transfer of the munitions, the agency said. The dollar amount included in the announcement reflects the highest estimated quantity and value. Final figures will depend on the actual contract terms, available budget, and completed agreements.