The State Department this week signed off on a plan for South Korea to buy four military jets that can track other aircraft and ships over long distances.

The nearly $5 billion deal was for the Boeing-made E-7 airborne early warning and control aircraft often called the Wedgetail. It has communications and navigation equipment, spare parts and countermeasures for self-defense.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

The Wedgetail features a radar antenna mounted on the aircraft instead of a rotating one as with the E-3 Sentry, known as the AWACS.

The sale will help South Korea meet threats by providing improved intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Also, it will increase the Korean air force’s command and control interoperability with the U.S., officials said.

“Korea will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and support into its armed forces,” the DSCA said.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.