[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] What is the Source of Shared Information Among Korea, the US, and Japan?

South Korean Military Geographically Close to North Korea Ensures Accurate Launch Information
Blind Spots Covered by Real-Time Data Exchange with US-Japan Reconnaissance Satellites

South Korea, the United States, and Japan have agreed to share North Korea's ballistic missile warning information in real time, drawing attention to each country's detection assets and capabilities.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Our military can typically detect North Korean missile launches within 30 seconds to 1 minute. Short-range ballistic missile detection and identification are most accurate with warning information collected by South Korea due to its close geographical proximity. South Korea's ballistic missile surveillance and tracking radar, Green Pine (detection range over 600 km), and the US Forces Korea's THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) radar (AN/TPY-2, over 800 km) operate to track missiles. At sea, South Korea's Aegis destroyer radar, SPY-1D, detects them.

On the 18th, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik appeared on a broadcast and explained the missile warning information sharing system, saying, "Previously, missile warning information was shared only during exercises," and added, "Now, it is shared 24 hours a day, 365 days a year." He further elaborated, "Previously, mainly maritime detection means were shared, but now all missile information detection means, including ground detection assets, are shared."

After launch, radar shadow (blind) zones appear due to the Earth's curvature. If North Korea's missile flies northeastward from North Korean territory, information from Japan, which is geographically close to the northeast impact point, is useful. Japan operates two early warning radars with detection ranges of about 2,000 km. These are the terminal mode (AN/TPY-2 TM) early warning radar located in Shariki, Aomori Prefecture, and the forward-based mode (AN/TPY-2 FBM) radar deployed at Kyogamisaki in Kyotango near Kyoto.

Japan also possesses various satellites. It operates eight reconnaissance satellites, including two optical satellites with high-performance cameras that capture ground images during the day and five radar satellites that use radio waves to image at night or in poor weather conditions. Additionally, Japan has four ground radars with detection ranges over 1,000 km and 17 airborne early warning aircraft, among other intelligence assets.

US and Japan Acquire and Share Information via Reconnaissance and Early Warning Satellites

The United States monitors the entire North Korean territory using early warning satellites in space. Especially when North Korean missiles perform 'pull-up' (vertical maneuvering) flights during the terminal phase, they sometimes disappear from radar. At such times, information from US early warning satellites is helpful.

Warning information detected by about ten early warning satellites, including the US DSP (Defense Support Program geostationary satellites), SBIRS (Space-Based Infrared System), and STSS (Space Tracking and Surveillance System low Earth orbit satellites), will now be shared in real time.

The DSP satellites monitor the ground from geostationary orbit at an altitude of 35,862 km using infrared detectors to detect the intense heat exhaust flames emitted when North Korea launches ballistic missiles. Six DSP satellites monitor the entire globe in real time, with one or two covering the Korean Peninsula.

The SBIRS satellites are equipped with infrared scanning sensors that detect heat from missile launches in space and infrared tracking sensors that track missile warheads. Operating at an altitude of 35,700 km, these satellites are known to detect not only long-range strategic ballistic missiles but also medium- and short-range tactical ballistic missiles.

Ballistic missile warning information collected through these detection and identification assets by South Korea, the US, and Japan is shared in real time among the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, US Forces Korea, the US Indo-Pacific Command, the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and US Forces Japan through automated systems. The information circulates through the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) operation control center and linked control center (KICC), USFK linked control center (USFK JICC), INDOPACOM linked control center (INDOPACOM JICC), and the C4I systems connected to the Japan Self-Defense Forces and US Forces Japan.

A Ministry of National Defense official stated, "Since January, we have negotiated to share US early warning satellite information," and added, "It was agreed to accelerate the establishment of a system that can obtain US information at a low cost."

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