US Greenlights $3.5 Billion Apache Helicopter Sale to South Korea, Strengthening Defense Ties

According to SAEDNEWS, In a significant move, the U.S. State Department approved on Monday the sale of up to 36 AH-64E Apache helicopters, along with logistics and support, to South Korea, in a deal valued at $3.5 billion. In addition to the helicopters, South Korea plans to acquire up to 76 GE T700 engines—two for each helicopter—along with four spare engines. Each Apache will be equipped with its own AN/ASQ-170 Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight.

Moreover, South Korea intends to purchase hundreds of missiles to arm these helicopters, which includes 456 Hellfire Missiles, six Captive Air Training Missiles, and 152 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are the primary vendors for this proposed sale.

This is not South Korea’s first acquisition of the Apache helicopters; the country previously purchased 36 units in 2013, with that order completed in early 2017. While this latest sale still requires final approval from Congress, it continues a prosperous year for American foreign military sales (FMS). Sales have surged since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, prompting other nations to bolster their defense spending.

Last week, the State Department also approved nearly $19 billion in potential F-15 fighter jet sales to Israel. Should the helicopter deal be finalized, it will push America's total FMS ledger over $100 billion for the fiscal year—approximately double the totals from two years ago.

To accommodate this increasing demand, U.S. officials from various departments are reforming the military sales process to ensure a more efficient workflow. These measures, considered a long-term initiative, aim to implement recommendations released the previous year.

In tandem with the helicopter sale, the State Department also sanctioned the Netherlands’ acquisition of $305 million in training and equipment for the CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache.

Furthermore, the U.S. and South Korean militaries have commenced military drills titled Ulchi Freedom Shield, involving approximately 19,000 South Korean troops in a series of land, air, and sea exercises. The drills are intended to prepare both nations for potential threats, including weapons of mass destruction, cyberattacks, and GPS jamming.

This military exercise has drawn strong condemnation from North Korea, which described it as a “prelude to nuclear war” and accused the U.S. of laying the groundwork for a “third World War” in its support of Ukraine against Russian advances. Pyongyang referred to the drill as a “beheading operation.”