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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Thursday said it supported the sale of six Boeing Co P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft to South Korea for an estimated $2.10 billion and had notified Congress of its decision.

South Korea’s military said in June it had picked Boeing to supply the country with maritime patrol aircraft.

South Korea said in February that it would procure from overseas new maritime patrol aircraft with stronger anti-submarine capabilities to better respond to the threat of North Korea’s submarine-launched ballistic missiles.