Now Even THAAD Heads to the Middle East... Is USFK Also Being Redeployed? [Yang Nakkyu's Defence Club]

Air defense weapons such as the Patriot (PAC-3) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, which are deployed with United States Forces Korea (USFK), are being sent to the Middle East. If the Middle East crisis escalates into a ground war, there are also suggestions that not only ground weapons, such as the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) held by USFK, but even personnel could be redeployed.

Yonhap News

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On March 11, a government official stated, "We cannot make an official statement regarding the removal of USFK weapons," declining to elaborate further. However, the previous day, President Lee Jaemyung said during a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House, "Although we have expressed our opposition to the US removing some of its air defense weapons from USFK based on its own military needs, it is a clear reality that we cannot fully enforce our position." This is interpreted as an acknowledgment that it is realistically difficult to prevent the United States from redeploying USFK air defense weapons to the Middle East in response to the crisis there.

Recently, with frequent takeoffs and landings by large US military transport aircraft such as the C-5 and C-17 at the USFK Osan Air Base, there are increasing observations that the redeployment of USFK air defense weapons to the Middle East is gaining momentum. This is because, as Iran has retaliated with missiles and drones targeting not only US military bases in neighboring Middle Eastern countries but also civilian facilities, some US air defense weapons have been destroyed and many interceptor missiles have been depleted.

The C-17 was also reportedly used in June last year to transport Patriot batteries in advance of the US "Midnight Hammer" operation, a sudden airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities. The C-5, a larger transport aircraft than the C-17, rarely stops at Osan Air Base, making its recent presence there noteworthy. The unusually frequent takeoffs and landings of large US military transport aircraft, including the C-5, at Osan Air Base have led to speculation that the scale of Patriot battery removal is larger than last year.

It appears that some THAAD system components, which intercept missiles at higher altitudes than Patriots, have also been redeployed to the Middle East. The Washington Post, citing multiple officials, reported on March 9 (local time) that "the US Department of Defense is moving some THAAD system components from South Korea to the Middle East."

It is assessed that Patriot batteries from USFK redeployed to the Middle East can be partially replaced by Patriots and Cheongung-II systems held by the South Korean military. However, there is currently no available force to replace the high-altitude missile defense system like THAAD, as only one THAAD battery is deployed by USFK in South Korea. The domestically developed L-SAM air defense weapon, known as the "Korean-style THAAD," will begin deployment next year.

Some observers are raising the possibility that even USFK ground forces could be redeployed. The United States developed the concept of "USFK strategic flexibility" following the Iraq War, and this has been further emphasized, especially since the launch of the second Trump administration, in line with the growing emphasis on allied nations' responsibility for their own security. In the 2003 Iraq War, even USFK combat units were redeployed, and these units did not return to South Korea after the end of the conflict.

If some forces are permanently withdrawn due to a USFK relocation, a consultation process between South Korea and the United States is required. However, it is known that for temporary redeployments, the United States only needs to notify South Korea. The government currently assesses that a partial, temporary redeployment of USFK forces at the present level would have almost no impact on readiness against North Korea.

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