The US government has approved a proposed sale to South Korea of an anti-missile system designed to protect large aircraft, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

South Korea has requested to buy Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) systems for up to four aerial refueling tanker aircraft, and the State Department approved the sale, the agency said in a statement.

The estimated cost is $141 million, it said.

The LAIRCM system, manufactured by Northrop Grumman, is designed to protect aircraft from oncoming missiles as it automatically detects a missile launch and activates a high-intensity laser-based countermeasure system to cause it to lose track of the target.

"The ROK is procuring the LAIRCM system to defend and protect its future aerial refueling and troop transport capabilities. This helps the ROK Air Force become more capable of sustaining and projecting air power across large distances and transporting its forces and fighter aircraft for both operational and training missions with less reliance on foreign partners, such as the United States," the agency said.

South Korea will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces, it said. (Yonhap)