South Korea and the U.S. have conducted their first joint training on the operation of a remote launcher for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. The drill took place as part of the Freedom Shield joint exercise, which aims to enhance combat readiness and joint defense posture against North Korea’s advancing missile threat.
According to the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), the training of THAAD forces improved their combat readiness, strengthened the combined defense posture within the alliance, and demonstrated the ironclad commitment to support and defend South Korea. The training also aimed to ensure security and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The remote launcher training was carried out using the THAAD system in conjunction with the regular South Korea-U.S. Freedom Shield exercise, which concluded its 11-day run on Mar. 23. The new deployment test marks the first time U.S. troops have tested the THAAD battery’s remote control since it was installed in South Korea in 2017.
With the deployment of remotely controlled THAAD interceptors, the battery can now defend a much larger area than before. Some of the remotely controlled THAAD interceptors are deployed on a Pacific island around 70 km from their base on Guam. Until recently, the interceptors were connected with the control center by cables, which raised concerns about their operational range.
The deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea has been a contentious issue. However, the recent tests were made possible after the government broke years of highly ritualized stalemate caused by protestors who blocked the sole access road to the base, allowing personnel and materials to be brought in last October.
The U.S. military has been pushing for an upgrade program designed to streamline and integrate its THAAD and Patriot missile defense systems into a single program for enhanced and more flexible security operations. In the face of North Korea’s advanced missile threats, the U.S. and South Korea stressed the importance of close cooperation and coordination to protect troops and the South Korean people.
To make the THAAD battery in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, fully operational, the South Korean Defense Ministry will finish a full-scale environmental impact assessment this month. The assessment had been skipped by the Park Geun-hye administration, leading to years of wrangling and inertia.
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