The US State Department has approved over $350 million in communications equipment sales to South Korea and Belgium, highlighting efforts to strengthen secure battlefield connectivity among key allies.
Washington cleared a potential $200-million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to South Korea for secure airborne communications, alongside a $156.1-million package for Belgium focused on tactical radios and encryption systems.
For South Korea, the sale includes ARC-210 secure radios and KY-100M communication security devices, to be installed on a variety of aircraft, including F-15K fighters, CH-47 Chinooks, and UH-60 helicopters, aiming to standardize secure communications across the fleet. Collins Aerospace will serve as the primary contractor, and the systems support SATURN, a NATO-standard encrypted, jam-resistant waveform. The sale is intended to enhance Seoul’s ability to respond to evolving threats while maintaining interoperability with allied forces in the Indo-Pacific.
Belgium’s package builds on previous acquisitions, totaling over $150 million in communications equipment. It comprises AN/PRC-series radios, tactical key loaders, and related accessories, with L3Harris Technologies as the main supplier. Unlike South Korea’s air-focused systems, Belgium’s procurement targets ground forces, enabling secure, long-range communications while supporting NATO interoperability.
Recent US foreign military sales show a consistent push to upgrade allied communications. Examples include a $75-million FMS to Taiwan in February 2024 for Advanced Tactical Data Link upgrades, a $1.42-billion sale to the Netherlands in October 2024 for tactical and wideband radios and network encryption, a $181-million package to the Czech Republic in May 2025 for secure tactical communications, and a $110-million sale to Iraq in January 2026 to expand its military satellite communications network.
