South Korea and United States agreed to deploy additional Patriot air defense missile systems to South Korea in this fall, according to a news release on Friday.

The release, issued by South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, explained the additional deployment is the part of a three-year US enhancement plan that was announced last year. The plan costs 11 billion US dollars

The US new 8th Army unit and the 35th Air Defense Brigade will deploy to South Korea from their US bases with their Patriot Advanced Capability 2 and 3 equipment, said the release.

But the release did not elaborate on the amount of the military system. The United States deployed a Patriot battalion in South Korea in 1994.

The two batteries will deploy to Gwangju Air Base, 300 kilometers south to Seoul and to Osan Air Base, some 70 kilometerssouth to Seoul, the release said.

"This is part of our 11 billion dollars enhancement plan that continues to strengthen the South Korea-US alliance," Charles C. Campbell, Chief of Staff in the release said, adding "The deployment of this strictly defensive Air Defense Artillery Patriot missile unit brings additional deterrent capabilities to the Korean Peninsula."

The US now is stationing some 37,000 military troops in the Asian country.

Source: Xinhua