South Korean soldiers of an artillery unit check their armaments during a military drill near the demilitarized zone separating North Korea from the South, in Paju, north of Seoul April 30, 2013. Tensions between North Korea and South Korea and its ally t
South Korean soldiers of an artillery unit check their armaments during a military drill near the demilitarized zone separating North Korea from the South, in Paju, north of Seoul April 30, 2013. Tensions between North Korea and South Korea and its ally the United States have risen in recent weeks since the United Nations tightened sanctions after North Korea's third nuclear weapon test in February. The fresh sanctions led Pyongyang to threaten nuclear strikes against South Korea and the United States. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency has announced the country will be selling South Korea some ultra-modern 136 PAC-3 missiles worth an estimated $1.405 billion, even as it badly needs to modernise its own ageing nuclear arsenal in light of provocations by other countries.

The DSCA announced the impending sale on its website on Thursday. It is highly considered as the latest in a series of attempts to agree a deal on the air-defence system by between Washington and Seoul.

The sale of the PAC-3 missiles, according to DSCA, will help South Korea "to effectively conduct and sustain BMD operations, as well as serve as a core component to the Republic of Korea's [ROK's] future Korea Air Missile Defense (KAMD)." South Korea only has PAC-2 missiles which are being used to intercept incoming aircraft, Chosun Media said.

The "hit-to-kill" PAC-3 Missile, according to Lockheed Martin Missiles, one of the DSCA's principal contractors, is the world's most advanced, capable and powerful terminal air defense missile. It eliminates all possible threats, including tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), cruise missiles and aircraft. "The PAC-3 Missile is a quantum leap ahead of any other air defense missile when it comes to the ability to protect the Warfighter in their defining moments," Lockheed Martin said in its website.

DSCA likewise said the sale of the weapons to ROK will ensure the "peace and stability in that region," being that the country is an ally and partner nation of the United States. "It is vital to U.S. nation interests to assist our Korean ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability."

But as the U.S. equips other allies with modern weaponry, observers believed it is high time it modernises its nuclear arsenal, which has now aged and failed miserably compared to those of one of its present frenemies, Russia. Quoted by the LA Times, Maj. Gen. Sandra Finan, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center commander, said that for now, U.S. hurling intimidations against its enemies are much like just empty threats because of the apparent inability to possibly back it up. It's an open secret that rival nations have invested billions and continued to do so to modernize and improve their respective nuclear systems. For the U.S. to "remain credible," Finan said it must maintain nuclear preparedness, not to mention perhaps, nuclear leadership as a priority.

Russia alone has allocated $560 billion to modernize its military arsenal over the next six years. Its ageing nuclear forces will receive 25 percent of that amount where all of its Soviet Union-era launchers will be replaced with modern ones. Citing unidentified officials, LA Times said the U.S. will just need $355 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade its nuclear arsenal.

It has been 20 years since the U.S. military gave top priority to enhance the country's nuclear capabilities. After the first Gulf War, the U.S. has been primarily focused on producing high-tech conventional weapons and didn't develop any nuclear strategic weapon. It's a different stage play on the other hand with Russia, as well as North Korea, Pakistan and India which have all worked continuously to improve their respective nuclear arsenals and delivery systems.