Breaking news
United States considers deploying THAAD missile defense battery in South Korea.
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Defence & Security News - United States |
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| Wednesday, October 1, 2014 01:58 PM | |||
| United States considers deploying THAAD missile defense battery in South Korea | |||
The
United States is considering sending a THAAD missile defense battery to
South Korea to cope with threats from North Korea, a top American defense
official confirmed Tuesday, September 30. Talks are underway between the
United States and South Korea on the possible deployment of a Terminal
High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, according to Deputy
Secretary of Defense Robert Work, the first senior American official to
publicly acknowledge the move. |
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 Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense missile system |
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"As you said, we are considering sending a
THAAD to South Korea," Work said in response to a question
from Yonhap News Agency. He spoke at a forum organized by the Council
on Foreign Relations on U.S policy in the Asia-Pacific region.
"We are considering very carefully whether or not to put a THAAD in South Korea. We're doing site surveys. We're working with the government of South Korea now to determine if that is the right thing to do," he said. Work said the U.S. plans to have a total of eight THAAD batteries "when all is said and done." "These batteries are strategic assets," he said. "Moving them is a very, very important national-level decision. So moving one to Guam in response to North Korean provocations was made and that battery is there." Work emphasized that it is very difficult to move a THAAD battery because of the work involved in setting up the complicated system in a new place. But once moved, such systems "become an important part of the regional defense," he said. The THAAD deployment plan is a sensitive issue because it is seen as U.S. pressure on Seoul to buy a new THAAD system. It could also inflame tensions with China and Russia as they see the U.S. move as a threat to their interests. Critics in South Korea have also claimed the planned deployment is part of a broader U.S. attempt to get the Asian ally to join its missile defense system. Seoul has said it won't join the U.S. system, but will instead develop its own. "We've emphasized to both China and to Russia
these are not strategic anti-ballistic missiles," Work said. "They
are essentially designed to address regional threats against both our
allies, against U.S. territory. So we continue to work with the Russians
and the Chinese to allay any concerns they have, but they both have
indicated concerns." |
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