[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] US THAAD Launcher Additional Deployment Moves... Location Is

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The United States appears to be planning to deploy additional launchers for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The U.S. is currently working on an upgrade project to replace wired connections between batteries and launchers with wireless ones and to integrate them with the existing Patriot systems. This means that the launchers at the Seongju base could be relocated to a new base or additional launchers could be brought in and linked with the batteries at the Seongju base.

John Hill, Director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (Navy Vice Admiral), said during the U.S. Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget briefing on the 10th (local time), "If we can separate the THAAD launchers and batteries, it will provide a lot of flexibility on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "We can place the batteries further back, move the radar back, place the launchers in front, or bring in additional launchers."

If the U.S. adds more THAAD launchers, locations such as Chilgok in North Gyeongsang Province, Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province, Busan, Eumseong in North Chungcheong Province, Wonju in Gangwon Province, and Gunsan in North Jeolla Province, which were considered during the completion of the Seongju base, are likely candidates.

At the time of THAAD introduction, Chilgok in North Gyeongsang Province was the most likely candidate site. Chilgok is an area where U.S. strategic supplies are stockpiled, making protection necessary due to the significant possibility of enemy Scud missile attacks. It is located outside the range of North Korean long-range artillery and has the advantage of relatively fewer residents.

Pyeongtaek, which hosts a large U.S. military base, is also a possibility. However, while Pyeongtaek can defend the Seoul metropolitan area, it is within the range of North Korea’s latest 300mm multiple rocket launchers with a maximum range of 200 km, which is a weakness. Wonju is advantageous for defending the metropolitan area but is considered less likely due to the potential concentration of North Korean rocket attacks.

Additionally, Eumseong in North Chungcheong Province, where the Army Missile Command is located, is also considered a candidate site for THAAD deployment, but the absence of a U.S. military base there is noted. Busan’s Gijang area is a strategic key point where U.S. reinforcements would arrive in an emergency, making protection necessary, but controversy is expected due to its densely populated nature.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has revealed that it has allocated $49 million (approximately 58 billion KRW) in next year’s defense budget for construction costs related to the THAAD unit deployed in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and has discussed the possibility of cost-sharing with the South Korean government. It has been known that the U.S. has borne the costs of THAAD deployment so far. Accordingly, if the U.S. demands cost-sharing from South Korea through the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations, controversy may arise.

Kim Dae-young, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Strategy, said, "Once the U.S. military completes the performance upgrade of THAAD, it can introduce additional launchers in cities for the defense of U.S. forces in South Korea," adding, "If THAAD costs are included in the defense cost-sharing, there is justification within the U.S. as well, so additional deployment will likely accelerate."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.