S. Korea to buy Israeli radars to track N. Korea ballistic missiles

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will place an order later this month with
an Israeli company for radars that could detect and track ballistic missiles
fired from almost anywhere in North Korea, an official said Thursday.

The Green Pine Block-B early warning system radar, produced by Elta, scored
higher than its counterpart produced by the Netherlands' Thales in a performance
test in August, said Kim Young-san, spokesman for the Seoul-based the Defense
Acquisition Program Administration said.
The radars would be capable of monitoring ballistic missiles in flight at ranges
of up to 500km, covering nearly all North Korean soil if deployed in South Korea
by 2012, Kim said.
"The radars will be set up in South Korea's northern and central parts," Kim said
in a briefing, declining to say how many pieces South Korea plans to purchase due
to a security reason. "We hope the radars will significantly improve our
anti-missile defense capabilities."
North Korea's missile arsenal poses an increasing security threat to South Korea
and its neighbors after the communist nation has conducted a series of
test-firings in recent years.
The country launched a rocket in April which its neighbors fear could be
developed into a long-range ballistic missile that could even reach the U.S.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)