Raytheon has secured a $35 million contract to provide Stinger air-to-air missiles for the country’s future fleet of Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.

The sale is part of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) package for the helicopters, says Raytheon. Deliveries of the weapons will begin in 2017.

Although Raytheon did not specify the variant of missile, in April 2013 Seoul disclosed that the FMS package includes 288 Lockheed AGM-114R1 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and 63 Raytheon Block I 92H Stinger air-to-air missiles.

"Stinger provides vital self-protection capabilities as well as defensive counter-air protection of aviation and ground forces," says Michelle Lohmeier, vice president of Raytheon's Land Warfare Systems product line.

"Most importantly, Stinger operates day and night, in all environmental conditions and allows for the engagement of multiple targets within seconds."

In 2013 Seoul entered a $1.6 billion FMS deal for 36 Apaches.

Source: FlightGlobal.com