The U.S. Department of State has approved a possible sale of air-launched Mk 54 lightweight torpedoes to South Korea. The sale of 31 Mk 54 All Up Round lightweight torpedoes includes additional equipment and support for a total program cost of $72 million.
Additionally, the U.S. approved the sale of six Poseidon P-8 patrol aircraft and 64 Patriot PAC-3 missiles at an estimated cost of $2.6 billion last September. The sale shows the growing partnership between the East Asian country and the United States. The US heavily relies on South Korean as an ally ensuring peace and stability in East Asia and the Western Pacific.
The Mk 54 torpedo can be deployed from surface ships, helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft and can track, classify and attack underwater targets. It uses sophisticated processing algorithms to distinguish false targets and countermeasures, from identified threats.
