Page 17 - ADT SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2021 Online Magazine

the first of seven batteries of the Cheongung II medium-range North Korean missiles. The THAAD radar, origi-
surface-to-air missile (M-SAM) system, a self-propelled, hit-to-kill nally deployed in terminal mode, has a range of
(HTK) interceptor system that can engage incoming enemy aircraft 1,000km, but, as per a Pentagon report, conver-
as well as ballistic missile targets at an altitude of about 20 km. sion to forward-based mode, which is possible
Also under development is the Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile within eight hours, would enhance the range to
(L-SAM) missile defense system, which is similar to THAAD and 3,000km with a 120-degree field of view.
designed to intercept ballistic missiles from North Korea at an
altitude of 40-60 kilometers in the terminal phase. Developed by With the U.S. making public its intention to [ MISSILE DEFENCE ]
Hanwha and LIGNex1, work on the system began in December upgrade its THAAD batteries around the world,
2019. Service entry of the L-SAM, which will also arm the future FFX media reports of the South Korean THAAD
Batch III frigates to provide them with anti-ballistic missile capabil- system being upgraded surfaced after Robert
ities, is expected in 2024. In June this year, LIG Nex1 announced Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea
the opening of a facility that will specialise in the development of (USFK), said at a House Armed Services
components as well as in the assembly and inspection of L-SAM, Committee hearing in March this year that
which part of the KAMD system. the U.S. Missile Defense Agency was building
“three specific” anti-missile capabilities, one
THAAD Upgrade of which had already been deployed in South
The Lockheed Martin-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Korea. He added that the US would deploy two
system (THAAD), which is the major component of the US-led additional anti-ballistic missile capabilities in
missile-defense structure in place in South Korea, protects military South Korea this year.
bases at Pyeongtaek, Busan, Ulsan and Pohang. Designed to shoot
down short- medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles at
a higher altitude in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill method, According to reports, phase one of the upgrade
the THAAD battery in Seongju has six launchers, each equipped would involve extending the range of the radar
with a radar system, with eight interceptor missiles per launcher. while the second phase would entail integrat-
Deployed in the country in 2017 following bursts of aggression from ing Patriot missiles with the THAAD radar. The
North Korea, South Korea and the U.S. have repeatedly stressed Raytheon-built Patriot air and missile defense
that the system is in the place for the sole purpose of defeating system intercepts short- and medium-range
ballistic missiles in their terminal stage at low
altitudes. The THAAD system, on the other
hand, defends against short-, medium-, and
certain intermediate-range ballistic missile
attacks at the end of their midcourse and termi-
nal flight stages, thereby allowing interceptors
to engage their targets at higher altitudes than
the Patriot system.

Enhancing Capability
According to a U.S. Government Accountability
Office (GAO) report published in April, two out
of the three flight tests that aimed to integrate
the Patriot and THAAD missile systems failed
because of software problems. The flight tests
by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and
the Army were intended to increase the cover-
age area of the Patriot batteries by ensuring the
launch of the Patriot’s interceptor using THAAD
radar tracking data, before the Patriot system
uses its own radar, to execute the interception.
The third of the flight tests was successful, with
Patriot interceptors using THAAD radar data.
The successful integration of the Patriot system
with THAAD would ensure Patriot Launch-on-
Remote (THAAD) capability would allow the
Army to use the “right missile for the right
threat at the right time against North Korean
submarine-launched ballistic missiles,” says
Army Gen. Robert B. Abrams, the commander
of combined Korean-U.S. forces.

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