THAAD aimed at N.K. not China: U.S. MD chief

The upcoming deployment of a U.S. advanced missile defense system here is strictly for the protection of South Korea against North Korea‘s ballistic missile threats and will not be used against China, U.S. Missile Defense Agency chief reiterated Thursday.

Visiting Vice Admiral James D. Syring, the director of the MDA, addressed concerns about the negative repercussions on having the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in the Korean peninsula.

Such worries encompass possibly vexing China by installing a U.S.-operated radar that could extend into its territory, THAAD’s effectiveness in intercepting the missiles and possible damage on the environment and health of the people adjacent to its AN/TPY-2 radar.

“The intent of the system (THAAD) is to intercept North Korean ballistic missiles. Our missile defense system is not designed against China. Never has been and never will,” Syring said, in a joint interview with local reporters. “We don‘t defend against China as a threat.”

China has raised concern that having its biggest rival operate an advanced weapons system at a stone’s throw away would infringe upon its strategic interest. One of its main concerns was the AN/TPY-2 radar that can reportedly potentially detect up to 2,000 kilometers, when operated in the forward-based mode.

To be operated within the THAAD system, the radar has to be in terminal mode that has much shorter range and cannot cover Chinese territory. But it is possible to transfer between the two modes.

While Syring said that it is possible to transform for a short time “from a material standpoint,” he stressed that the radars will only function in the terminal mode.

He added that THAAD in the Korean peninsula will not be part of the wider missile defense network utilized by the U.S.

“Any linkage to a wider purpose through C2BMC (command, control, battle management, and communications) is just not the case... The intent is for THAAD in Korea to operate autonomously,” Syring said. The C2BMC program is an integrating element of the ballistic missile defense system.

The MDA director stressed that the THAAD has been assessed not to have detrimental effects on human health or the environment.

But he also said that the THAAD’s capacity to intercept intermediate-range missiles like Musudan -- which is presumed to have range of 3,000 kilometers and is evaluated to have been successfully launched this year -- has not been test-proven yet. The test will be conducted next year, he said.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.co)
and Joint Press Corp.