The U.S. Department of State has approved the possible sale of shipborne missile interceptors to South Korea.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) under the Pentagon said on Tuesday that the State Department approved the potential government-to-government Foreign Military Sale of the Standards Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptors and related equipment worth 650 million U.S. dollars.

The sale is subject to approval from the U.S. Congress. 

The South Korean government requested to purchase up to 38 SM-6 interceptors after the country’s arms procurement agency decided in March to secure the interceptors through a government-to-government foreign military sale program. They are set to be installed on the Navy's Aegis-equipped KDX-III destroyers in the coming years. 

The government believes the SM-6, with a range of over 400 kilometers, will significantly enhance the country’s capabilities to respond to North Korea’s cruise and ballistic missiles.

The DSCA said that the proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by enhancing the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region.