An Aegis-equipped destroyer under construction by the South Korean Navy will be equipped with

domestically built cruise missiles aimed at replacing U.S.-made anti-ship Harpoon missiles, South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday.

South Korea plans to build three 7,000-ton-class Aegis-equipped destroyers by 2012 and to equip the first vessel with the domestically produced ship-to-ship missiles, which have a range of up to 150 kilometers, Yonhap said.

U.S. manufacturing giant Lockheed Martin was awarded the contract to provide an Aegis combat system for South Korean Navy

last year, which would make South Korea the fourth nation to have the state-of-the-art system after the United States, Japan and Spain, the news agency said.

The South Korean homemade missiles will also be introduced to four 4,000-ton-class destroyers with radar-evading "stealth" functions the South Korean Navy has already built.

The missile, developed by the state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD), drew media attention after its successful test- firing in December 2005.

The ADD has spent 100 billion won (102 million U.S. dollars) to develop the missiles since 1996 to replace Harpoon missiles produced by U.S.-based Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) that have a range of up to 90 kilometers.

The Harpoon missile, introduced to South Korean military in 1977,has served as one of the most common air, ship and submarine missiles.

South Korea buys most of its weapons from the United States.

Source: Xinhua