방위사업청, 미국 국방부와 한미 보급품 안보협정(SOSA) 공식 체결
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (Minister Eom, Donghwan) and the US Department of Defense officially signed the ROK-US Security of Supply Arrangement (hereinafter “SOSA”) on November 11. 16.
* SOSA(Security of Supply Arrangement) : An agency-to-agency arrangement the US signs with its allies (16 countries in total, including the Republic of Korea) to provide reciprocal priorities support to stabilize the defense supply chain
The Minister of DAPA Eom, Donghwan and Under Secretary of DoD for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante agreed to sign SOSA during the 48th DTICC in Washington D.C. last July, and eventually signed the Arrangement after coordination and reconciliation.
* DTICC(Defense Technological Industrial Cooperation Committee) : An annual meeting to discuss agenda items of defense industry and technology cooperation
SOSA is an arrangement that ensures reciprocal priorities support to each other. As the ROK-US SOSA is signed this time, the ROK is expected to receive US defense resources preferentially, benefitting timely deployment and operation rate of weapons systems in the country.
The Minister Eom said, “I believe signing of SOSA will help establish a stable defense supply chain and Korean vendors to enter the US market.” “In particular, as we signed the reciprocal arrangement SOSA this year which marks the 70th anniversary of ROK-US alliance, we showed that ROK-US relationship is advancing toward a ‘Global Comprehensive Strategic Alliance’”, he added.
The Under Secretary LaPlante said, emphasizing the two countries’ efforts to resolve the global supply chain crisis, “As strong measures for multilateral defense partnership of the two countries, the signing of the Arrangement will play an integral role in solidifying the ROK-US alliance further.”
