ANKARA

US Patriot missile defense batteries have returned to South Korea after deployment in the Middle East, Yonhap News reported Thursday, citing the US military.

US Forces Korea (USFK) said troops from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment arrived back in the country following their assignment to the US Central Command area of responsibility, where they had been deployed 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 said Patriot batteries previously shifted to the Middle East would return to South Korea to receive the latest equipment upgrades.

South Korea is one of Washington’s longest-standing military allies and hosts more than 28,500 US troops, along with Patriot missile batteries and other defense systems.

The South Korean military currently operates the domestically produced medium-range surface-to-air missile system and the US Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system, which intercepts missiles at lower altitudes than the L-SAM.

For higher-altitude threats, South Korea relies on the USFK-operated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, which provides upper-tier interception at altitudes of 40-150 kilometers.