Even missiles are inferior to Patriot: the cost of SM-6, which shoots down ballistic missiles at a distance of 240 km, has been revealed
From the very beginning, the SM-6 anti-aircraft missile was developed for American destroyers with Mark 41 universal launchers. Subsequently, a “land-based” version of the missile was designed, which, in tandem with the Typhon missile system, is capable of hitting ground targets at a distance of 460 km.
The SM-6 missile is of interest to many US allies. It is known that the State Department has approved a deal to sell 38 anti-aircraft missiles to South Korea. The contract amounted to USD 650 million. Thus, the cost of one SM-6, including related services and equipment, is USD 17.1 million.
South Korea sent a request for missiles to the State Department last spring. Thus, it took 18 months to finalize the deal. The missiles themselves are to be delivered to the customer by 2031.
Compared to the SM-6, the Patriot missiles, which have an export price of $10 million per unit, no longer seem so expensive.
