America’s most powerful weapon, the THAAD defense system is now “operational and has the ability to intercept North Korean missiles and defend the Republic,” said US Forces in South Korea.
The anti-missile system that can shoot down any missile has only “reached initial intercept capability,” said the official. This initial capability will be augmented later this year as additional components and hardware arrive to complete the system.
US and South Korea agreed to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery last July after a string of missile test launches by North Korea. The deployment angered the Chinese who fear that the system could shoot down some of their ballistic missiles and that its continued presence upsets the regional security balance.
The THAAD system is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.
China has responded to the deployment by imposing a whole range of retaliatory economic sanctions on South Korean businesses including a ban on tour operators into the country, for hosting the defense system.
Who Pays For The THAAD System?
The THAAD defence system is now operational and has”initial intercept capability,” said US Forces in South Korea. Credit: AFP/GETTY Image
Last week President Trump stunned everyone particularly Seoul when he suggested that South Korea should pay for the THAAD system whose price tag is $1 billion.
Speaking to a reporter he said, “I informed South Korea it would be appropriate if they paid. It’s a billion-dollar system,” before adding, “It’s phenomenal, shoots missiles right out of the sky.”
The director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Thomas Karako, called this an important first step after noting that South Korea’s only THAAD battery does not quite have the range to cover the entire country.
However, the South Korean government pointed out that under the Status of Forces Agreement that governs United States military presence in the country, South Kore would provide the hosting site and infrastructure and the US would pay for the deployment as well as operate the THAAD system.
Tensions have risen in the region after repeated missile launches by the North and the presence of US warships and a submarine.
Copyright © 2017 Manyika Review. All Rights Reserved.
