Breaking news
US could deploy THAAD air defense missile system in South Korea against North Korea threats 10302161.
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Defence & Security News - South Korea
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| US could deploy THAAD air defense missile system in South Korea against North Korea threats. | |||
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United States are ready to deploy latest generation of its air defense systems THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) in South Korea to protect the country against North Korean missile threats. The deployment of the United States' advanced missile interceptor system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, could help South Korea form a multilayer defense against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, if realized, the Defense Ministry said Monday, February 1, 2016.
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 A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched from a THAAD battery located on Wake Island, during Flight Test Operational (FTO)-02 Event 2a. |
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South Korea seems to be leaning toward the deployment of THAAD in South Korea, an anti-ballistic missile system severely opposed by China.
If South Korea develops its own long-range surface-to-air interceptor missiles, or L-SAM, they could combine that with THAAD to create a multi-layered air defense, rather than substitute the U.S. defense system, Moon Sang-gyun, new spokesman at the Ministry of National Defense, said in a regular briefing.
L-SAM is part of South Korea's program to build its own air defense system, called Korean Air and Missile Defense, by the early 2020s, and South Korea previously maintained that local defense systems would be strong enough to counter North Korea's ballistic missile threats on their own.
Since North Korea's surprise nuclear test on Jan. 6, South Korea has quickened its steps away from its previous stance wary of the THAAD deployment. President Park Geun-hye openly discussed South Korea's option to deploy the U.S. system in her New Year address while Defense Minister Han Min-koo highlighted THAAD's benefits in a news interview last week.
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is a key element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) designed to defend U.S. troops, allied forces, population centers, and critical infrastructure.
The THAAD (theatre high-altitude area defence) missile system is an easily transportable defensive weapon system to protect against hostile incoming threats such as tactical and theatre ballistic missiles at ranges of 200 km and at altitudes up to 150 km. In December 2011, THAAD delivered its 24th interceptor, completing the first THAAD Battery (A-4 ADA). Two THAAD batteries have been activated at Fort Bliss, Texas. The first THAAD Battery (A-4 ADA Battery) was activated in May 2008. The second THAAD Battery (A-2 ADA Battery) was activated in October 2009. |
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