Seoul and Washington have confimed that a
decision regarding THAAD deployment has been
made .
This means there will be some major security
changes for the peninsula.
Our Hwang Ho-jun explains Korea's current
missile defense situation and paints a clearer
picture of how THAAD could possibly bring
a new paradigm in the nation's defense system.
Ever since North Korea launched the Unha-3
rocket in 2012, South Korea has been aiming
to develop its own indigenous missile defense
system -- the Korea Air Missile Defense system
-- by mid 2020s.
This should be a system designed to intercept
low-altitude missiles.
Seoul is also developing a long range surface
area missile or L-SAM that can hit targets
at an altitude of 60 kilometers.
Currently in use for South Korea's missile
defense is the PAC-2 missiles.
The PATRIOT PAC-2 missile defense system is
a mobile, low-tier, land-based missile interceptor
system, designed to target incoming tactical
ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, or aircraft
by using a blast-fragmentation warhead that
sends debris.
The PATRIOT PAC-3, which the U.S. forces are
currently using in South Korea, is a "guided
missile system," a "hit-to-kill" interceptor
that destroys incoming ballistic and cruise
missiles by direct impact from a medium to
high-altitude altitude of 30 kilometers.
Now, THAAD, is capable of intercepting incoming
missiles at high-altitudes of up to 150 kilometers.
So in a scenario where North Korea does in
fact launches a missile towards South Korea,
under the most ideal layered defense system,
THAAD will be able to intercept enemy rockets
even at altitudes of up 150 kilometers.
If the interception fails, the L-SAM missiles
will follow at a maximum altitude of 60 kilometers.
And if that fails again, the PAC-3 system
will be launched to intercept missiles at
the maximum altitude of 30 kilometers.
Experts are saying that such multi-layer defense
system would be critical when dealing with
missile threats from North Korea.
Take a listen.
"When using both the existing Patriot missiles
and THAAD that will be newly deployed, we
can effectively defend South Korea against
the North's ballistic missiles.
In other words, the synergy between THAAD
and the KAMD can definitely consolidate South
Korea's missile defense system."
However, China strongly opposes to the THAAD
deployment, mainly because of the system's
powerful RADAR,... as it can cover not only
North Korean territory, but also Chinese and
Russian strategic locations, including Beijing.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News
