The United States deployed the first elements of the so-called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea on March 6 in response to recent North Korean nuclear weapons tests and ballistic missile launches, U.S. Pacific Command announced in a statement yesterday.

“Continued provocative actions by North Korea, to include yesterday’s launch of multiple missiles, only confirm the prudence of our alliance decision last year to deploy THAAD to South Korea,” said the head of U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris. “We will resolutely honor our alliance commitments to South Korea and stand ready to defend ourselves, the American homeland, and our allies.”

THAAD is an anti-ballistic missile system capable of intercepting incoming ballistic missiles in the terminal phase, i.e. during the descent phase of flight. The system is specifically designed to destroy short- and medium-range ballistic missiles at endo- and exo-atmospheric altitude up to heights of 90 miles. The hypersonic interceptor missile fired by THAAD can travel at speeds of over Mach 8.

The missile relies on infrared seeker technology to hone in on its target and then destroys it using kinetic energy — like hitting a bullet with a bullet. “In plain English, missile meets missile in mid-air; both missiles go ‘Boom,’” as The Diplomat explained elsewhere. However, what troubles the People’s Republic of China is not so much THAAD’s interceptor missiles but its surveillance capabilities, in particular the powerful AN/TPY-2 X-Band radar system, a transportable X-band, high-resolution, phased-array radar developed by U.S. defense contractor Raytheon.

While the United States already operates a THAAD system in Guam, and has deployed two AN/TPY-2 radar systems in Japan, it is THAAD’s interoperability with other ballistic missile defense systems (e.g., Aegis-equipped destroyers) and its ability to share early tracking data of Chinese ballistic missiles that make Beijing uneasy about the stationing of the AN/TPY-2 X-Band radar system so close to the Chinese border.

As The Diplomat explained elsewhere, it is not clear how much of an impact an additional radar unit would have on China’s ability to successfully launch intercontinental ballistic missiles. Nevertheless, U.S. Pacific Command’s statement that “the THAAD system is a strictly defensive capability and it poses no threat to other countries in the region” will do very little to assuage Chinese concerns.

The deployment will also likely have a negative impact on China-South Korea ties. A commentary published by China’s state-owned Xinhua news agency accused South Korea of acting in a “reckless manner” and called the United States’ decision to deploy THAAD “a manifestation of its self-serving response to the most complicated geopolitical quagmire in the world.”</s>The United States says it has begun deploying a missile-defense system in South Korea, prompting a quick rebuke from Russia and China.

South Korea last year chose the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to help protect it against threats from North Korea.

Officials from South Korea have said the system is being installed solely for defensive purposes, but both China and Russia worry that the radar system will penetrate deep into their territories.

China will "definitely be taking necessary measures to safeguard our own security interest," Geng Shuang, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on March 7. He did not specify what measures may be taken.

The Interfax news agency quoted Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the International Relations Committee of the Russian State Duma, as saying the defense system goes beyond deterring the North Korean threat to "undermining the strategic balance" of the Korean Peninsula.

The start of the deployment of the defense system came a day after North Korea test launched four ballistic missiles into the ocean near Japan.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, Interfax, and dpa</s>WASHINGTON: The US military has begun deploying an anti-ballistic missile defense system to South Korea, following a string of missile tests by North Korea, the US Pacific Command said Monday.

The announcement came after nuclear-armed North Korea on Monday launched four missiles which it said was part of training for a strike on US bases in Japan. Three of the missiles came down provocatively close to Japan.

Deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system "contributes to a layered missile defense system and enhances the US-ROK Alliance's defense against North Korean missile threats," the Pacific Command said in a statement.

"North Korea's accelerating program of nuclear weapons tests and ballistic missile launches constitute a threat to international peace and security, and are in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions."

South Korea and the United States agreed last year to install the THAAD system, which China has repeatedly denounced as a threat to its security.

The statement from the Pacific Command, which oversees US military operations in the Asia-Pacific, pointed out that the system is "a strictly defensive capability and it poses no threat to other countries in the region."

The system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.</s>Image copyright Reuters Image caption The defence system will take out any missiles considered a threat to South Korea

The US says it has begun deploying the first parts of a controversial missile defence system in South Korea.

The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (Thaad) is designed to protect against threats from North Korea.

The move to begin installing the system comes a day after the North launched four ballistic missiles, breaking international sanctions.

But the US-South Korean arrangement has angered many on the Korean peninsula and around the region, including China.

South Korean media said operations to install a Thaad battery had begun on Monday, with some parts flown from the US to an air base near Seoul. A statement from the US military confirmed that the "first elements" of the system had been sent to South Korea.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, quoting a military official, said the system could be operational "as early as April".

Chinese foreign spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday that China opposed the deployment and would "resolutely take necessary measures to defend our own security interests".

What is the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (Thaad)?

Shoots down short and medium-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their flight

Uses hit-to-kill technology - where kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead

Has a range of 200km and can reach an altitude of 150km

US has previously deployed it in Guam and Hawaii as a measure against potential attacks from North Korea

What impact will S Korea's expanded missile defence system have?

1. The enemy launches a missile

2. The Thaad radar system detects the launch, which is relayed to command and control

3. Thaad command and control instructs the launch of an interceptor missile

4. The interceptor missile is fired at the enemy projectile

5. The enemy projectile is destroyed in the terminal phase of flight

The launcher trucks can hold up to eight interceptor missiles.

But the deployment is controversial?

There is domestic opposition - many South Koreans believe the defence system will itself become a target, endangering people who live around the military sites. Opponents have staged multiple demonstrations.

Internationally, both China and Russia have raised concerns, saying the system could affect the regional security balance.

Last year, China's foreign minister said the system went "far beyond" the defence needs of the Korean peninsula. Russia's envoy to Seoul has called it a "direct threat" to national security.

So why is China worried? By Jonathan Marcus, BBC News defence correspondent

The Thaad system is well-suited to defend South Korean targets against relatively limited range North Korean missiles. But it has no ability to intercept Chinese inter-continental ballistic missiles that target the US. Why then is China so annoyed?

What concerns Beijing is the system's powerful X-band radars that can "reach" far into Chinese territory. The Chinese military worries that these could be used to spot Chinese missile launches and feed the data to cue up other US defensive systems, eg interceptor missiles based in the US, potentially affecting China's deterrent capability.

But the US already has powerful radars based in Japan and a Thaad system in Guam. It's not easy to quantify the additional benefit that Thaad radars in South Korea would give the Pentagon. But they will certainly give the South Koreans an important and expanded new layer of defence against missile attack.

What happened in the latest missile launch?

North Korea threatened last week to fire missiles in response to the start of the Foal Eagle US-South Korean military exercises. The annual drills infuriate the North, which sees them as preparation for an invasion from the South.

Then early on Monday, it fired four missiles from the Tongchang-ri region, near the border with China.

Three of the projectiles flew some 1,000km (620 miles) and fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The exact type of missile is not yet clear but South Korean officials said they appeared to be an upgraded version of a Scud missile.

What was the international reaction?

The US and Japanese leaders held phone discussions after the missile launch and the United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Wednesday in an emergency meeting requested by the US and Japan to discuss the incident.

Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US South Pacific Command, said the launch confirmed "the prudence" of the decision to deploy Thaad.

But the deployment will likely worsen tensions between Seoul and Beijing. In recent days South Korea has accused China of economic retaliation linked to Thaad in areas, including tourism and air travel.

There has also been an outpouring of anger by Chinese consumers against the South Korean retailer Lotte, which allowed Thaad to be installed on one of its sites. Several of Lotte's stores in China have been closed down suddenly. Beijing rejects claims of economic retaliation.

Is China retaliating against Lotte missile deal?</s>The U.S. military has begun deploying an anti-ballistic missile defense system to South Korea, following a string of missile tests by North Korea, the U.S. Pacific Command said Monday.

The announcement came after nuclear-armed North Korea on Monday launched four missiles which it said was part of training for a strike on U.S. bases in Japan. Three of the missiles came down provocatively close to Japan.

Deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system “contributes to a layered missile defense system and enhances the U.S.-ROK Alliance’s defense against North Korean missile threats,” the Pacific Command said in a statement.

“North Korea’s accelerating program of nuclear weapons tests and ballistic missile launches constitute a threat to international peace and security, and are in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

South Korea and the United States agreed last year to install the THAAD system, which China has repeatedly denounced as a threat to its security.

The statement from the Pacific Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Asia-Pacific, pointed out that the system is “a strictly defensive capability and it poses no threat to other countries in the region.”

The system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.</s>The US says it has begun deploying the first parts of a controversial missile defence system in South Korea.

The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (Thaad) is designed to protect against threats from North Korea.

The move to begin installing the system comes a day after the North launched four ballistic missiles, breaking international sanctions.

But the US-South Korean arrangement has angered many on the Korean peninsula and around the region, including China.

Chinese foreign spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday that China resolutely opposed its deployment.

South Korean media said operations to install a Thaad battery had begun on Monday, with some parts flown from the US to an air base near Seoul. A statement from the US military confirmed that the “first elements” of the system had been sent to South Korea.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, quoting a military official, said the system could be operational “as early as April”.

What is the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (Thaad)?
• Shoots down short and medium-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their flight
• Uses hit-to-kill technology – where kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead
• Has a range of 200km and can reach an altitude of 150km
• US has previously deployed it in Guam and Hawaii as a measure against potential attacks from North Korea

Many South Koreans believe the defence system will itself become a target, endangering people who live around the military sites.

Opponents have staged multiple demonstrations. In August last year, residents of the south-eastern Seongju region earmarked for Thaad had their heads shavedTe in a show of anger.

China and Russia have both raised concerns over the deployment of the system, saying its radar could penetrate deep into their countries. Last year, China’s foreign minister said the system went “far beyond” the defence needs of the Korean peninsula and directly affected China’s “strategic security interests”.

There has also been an outpouring of anger by Chinese consumers against the South Korean retailer Lotte, which allowed Thaad to be installed on one of its sites.

What happened in the latest missile launch?

North Korea had threatened last week to fire missiles in response to the start of the Foal Eagle US-South Korean military exercises. The annual drills infuriate the North, which sees them as preparation for an invasion from the South.

Then early on Monday, it fired four missiles from the Tongchang-ri region, near the border with China.

Three of the projectiles flew some 1,000km (620 miles) and fell into Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The exact type of missile is not yet clear but South Korean officials said they appeared to be an upgraded version of a Scud missile.

Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US South Pacific Command, said the launch confirmed “the prudence” of the decision to deploy Thaad.

What was the international reaction?

US President Donald Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have held phone discussions. The two leaders agreed that the launch was “a clear challenge to the region and international community”. Mr Abe added that the threat from North Korea had “entered a new phase”.

The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Wednesday in an emergency meeting requested by the US and Japan to discuss the incident. BBC News</s>The US military says it has begun deploying a controversial missile defence system in South Korea.

The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (Thaad) is designed to protect against threats from North Korea.

The move to begin installing the system comes a day after the North launched four ballistic missiles, breaking international sanctions.

But its planned deployment has angered many in North and South Korea and around the region.

China is furious at what it sees as an encroachment of US military power, while many South Koreans believe the defence system will become a target, endangering people who live around the military sites.

What is the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (Thaad)?
• Shoots down short and medium-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their flight
• Uses hit-to-kill technology - where kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead
• Has a range of 200km and can reach an altitude of 150km
• US has previously deployed it in Guam and Hawaii as a measure against potential attacks from North Korea

What impact will S Korea's expanded missile defence system have?

2. The Thaad radar system detects the launch, which is relayed to command and control

3. Thaad command and control instructs the launch of an interceptor missile

4. The interceptor missile is fired at the enemy projectile

5. The enemy projectile is destroyed in the terminal phase of flight

The launcher trucks can hold up to eight interceptor missiles.

Pyongyang had threatened last Friday that it would fire missiles in response to the start of the Foal Eagle US-South Korean military exercises. The annual drills infuriate the North, which sees them as preparation for an invasion from the South.

Then early on Monday, it fired the four missiles from the Tongchang-ri region, near the border with China.

The type of projectile used remains unclear, but three flew some 1,000km (620 miles) and fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
• What is new in North Korea's missile technology?
• What will Trump do about North Korea?

Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the South Pacific Command, said the launch confirmed "the prudence of our alliance decision last year to deploy Thaad to South Korea".

The deployment was agreed under President Barack Obama, but Admiral Harris said the US would "resolutely honour our alliance commitments to South Korea and stand ready to defend ourselves, the American homeland, and our allies".

The US has about 24,000 of its own military personnel based in South Korea.

Meanwhile, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he and US President Donald Trump have agreed that the launch was "a clear challenge to the region and international community".

They agreed the threat from North Korea has "entered a new phase", Mr Abe said.

North Korea has repeatedly said its missile and space programme is peaceful but it is believed to be developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the US.

Monday's launches were just the latest in a long series of tests of North Korean missile technology, which experts say is likely to be improving with each successive firing.

It has also tested five nuclear devices, but most observers believe it is still some way from being able to miniaturise nuclear warheads so they could fit on to a missile.

Pyongyang said the latest launches were overseen by leader Kim Jong-un and conducted by a unit tasked with carrying out attacks on US bases in Japan.

The state news agency, KCNA, said Mr Kim had praised the missiles as being "so accurate that they look like acrobatic flying corps in formation".</s>Increasingly concerned about the threats from North Korea's provocative behavior, the United States said Tuesday it had started to deploy an antimissile system in South Korea that China has angrily opposed as a threat to its security. The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, or Thaad, came after North Korea launched four ballistic missiles on Monday apparently in response to joint naval exercises by South Korea and the United States.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.</s>Two mobile launchers landed in South Korea late Monday, part of a missile defense system that the U.S. military says are meant to defend the country against a North Korean attack. Citing the threat posed by North Korean missiles, the U.S. military has sent the first elements of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to South Korea.

Start the conversation, or Read more at New Hampshire Public Radio -.</s>SEOUL, South Korea – In a move sure to heighten tensions with China, the U.S. has begun deploying a controversial missile defense system in South Korea as the allies vow to bolster defenses against an increasingly menacing North.

The first parts of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system known as THAAD arrived at Osan Air Base on the divided peninsula shortly after Pyongyang launched four ballistic missiles into the sea near Japan on Monday.

“The first elements of THAAD arrived within the last 24 hours. It’s here now,” U.S. Forces Korea spokesman Christopher Bush told Stars and Stripes Tuesday morning.

He noted that U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his South Korean counterpart Han Min-koo agreed in a phone call last week that the anti-missile battery would be deployed as soon as possible.

“The arrival of the first elements of THAAD shows what as soon as possible means in the ROK-U.S. alliance,” he said, using the acronym for the Republic of Korea as the South is known formally.

Bush declined to give a specific timeline for the complete deployment of the system, which includes truck-mounted interceptors, an AN/TPY-2 radar that can detect and track ballistic missiles in descent, fire control.

The commander of U.S. forces in Korea, Gen. Vincent Brooks, said in November that he expected it to be operational in eight to 10 months, which would mean as early as July.

“The system will be fully operational as soon as possible,” Bush said.

Washington and Seoul agreed in July to deploy the THAAD to counter a growing threat from North Korea, which has defiantly continued to pursue its nuclear weapons program despite diplomatic pressure and tightened U.N. Security Council sanctions.

But the plans met with several obstacles, including adamant opposition from China, which fears the system’s powerful radar could be turned against its own military and jeopardize the geopolitical balance that has largely governed the region since the Korean War ended in 1953.

Bush reiterated U.S. insistence that the system is defensive in nature and will only be aimed at North Korea.

“THAAD will add an important capability to the existing air and missile defense of the ROK. And it is a purely defensive measure that the alliance must take in light of the serious threat posed by North Koran ballistic missiles,” he said.

Many South Koreans also have objected to the THAAD due to health and economic concerns, largely centering around fears of retaliation from trading partner and regional powerhouse Beijing.

The THAAD landed just over a week after a Lotte Group affiliate approved a land-swap deal to allow the system to be stationed at an elite hilltop golf course in a remote southeastern region.

The opposition forced the allies to change the initial location from a South Korean military base to a remote hilltop golf course run by one of the country’s largest conglomerates.

When it announced the planned deployment in July, the Pentagon said the THAAD would “contribute to a layered missile defense” that will enhance the missile defense capabilities already available to the alliance.

The THAAD, made by Lockheed Martin Corp., is designed to destroy short-and-medium range missiles at a high altitude, while the Patriot missiles long employed by the alliance would work at a lower level.

South Korea long resisted U.S. pressure to agree to allow the THAAD to be deployed in the country. But it relented last year after the latest crisis was touched off when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test followed by a long-range rocket launch.

Pyongyang went on to carry out a fifth nuclear test in September along with two dozen missile tests throughout the year. Tensions have further risen this year as North Korea conducted two more missile tests, most recently the barrage on Monday.

Leader Kim Jong Un also used his New Year’s address to announce that North Korea was in the “final stages” of preparations to test an intercontinental ballistic missile. That would put the country closer to its stated goal of being able to target the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile.

The U.S. has about 28,500 servicemembers stationed in South Korea, which is separated from the North by the world’s most fortified border. The two countries remain technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice instead of a peace treaty.

 

 gamel.kim@stripes.com

 Twitter: @kimgamel
The United States begins deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea.