(MENAFN) US Patriot missile defense batteries have been redeployed back to South Korea following their mission in the Middle East, according to reports citing the US military.

US Forces Korea (USFK) stated that troops from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment returned after serving under the US Central Command, where they had been stationed since March.

“Around 500 personnel and artillery units at the battalion level returned on Oct. 30,” a USFK official said.

In August, USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson had noted that Patriot batteries sent to the Middle East would be brought back to South Korea to receive the latest equipment upgrades.

South Korea remains one of the United States’ closest military allies, hosting more than 28,500 US troops alongside Patriot missile batteries and other defense systems. The South Korean military operates a domestically produced medium-range surface-to-air missile system in addition to the US Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system, which intercepts missiles at lower altitudes than the country’s L-SAM system.

For higher-altitude threats, South Korea relies on the USFK-operated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, capable of intercepting missiles at altitudes ranging from 40 to 150 kilometers.

MENAFN06112025000045017281ID1110305374