USA Vs China: THAAD missile system begins deployment in South Korea, China angered
- 7 years ago
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — The U.S. military has begun shipping THAAD anti-missile system to South Korea amid China’s fierce opposition.
THAAD stands for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. It consists of a truck-mounted launcher, a transportable radar system and control and communications centers. The system is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles, the Washington Post reported.
When the radar system detects the incoming missile, the target is identified and engaged before an interceptor is fired from the launcher. The interceptor destroys the missile by kinetic energy, meaning it is destroyed with body-to-body impact, during the terminal phase.
“I want to emphasize that we firmly oppose the deployment of THAAD,” Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters at a news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. “We will resolutely take necessary measures to defend our security interests.”
Military experts argue that China’s anger over the deployment is mainly due to the radar capabilities of THAAD system, as they could be used to spy on China’s own missile systems.
THAAD stands for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. It consists of a truck-mounted launcher, a transportable radar system and control and communications centers. The system is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles, the Washington Post reported.
When the radar system detects the incoming missile, the target is identified and engaged before an interceptor is fired from the launcher. The interceptor destroys the missile by kinetic energy, meaning it is destroyed with body-to-body impact, during the terminal phase.
“I want to emphasize that we firmly oppose the deployment of THAAD,” Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters at a news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. “We will resolutely take necessary measures to defend our security interests.”
Military experts argue that China’s anger over the deployment is mainly due to the radar capabilities of THAAD system, as they could be used to spy on China’s own missile systems.