[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Will President-elect Biden Demand THAAD Performance Upgrades?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] There is speculation that Joe Biden, the U.S. Democratic Party's president-elect, may pressure the performance upgrade of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployed in Seongju, Gyeongbuk. During the Obama administration, THAAD was deployed in Seongju, Gyeongbuk, but President Trump showed a critical or indifferent attitude, citing cost issues. Since the Biden administration is expected to continue the Obama administration's policies, the stance may change.

John Hill, Director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, stated in May while explaining the Department of Defense's fiscal year 2021 budget, "If the THAAD launchers and batteries can be separated, it would provide a lot of flexibility on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "The battery can be placed further back, the radar can be moved back, and the launchers can be placed in front or additional launchers can be brought in."

This is interpreted as an intention to separate the launchers from the THAAD battery, which consists of launchers, radar, and command and control centers, or to bring in separate launchers domestically to deploy not only at the current Seongju base in Gyeongbuk but also in the Seoul metropolitan area, which is considered a 'blind spot' in the THAAD defense network. The plan is to connect Patriot radars deployed at various U.S. Forces Korea bases with THAAD launchers to enhance defense of the metropolitan area.

The U.S. Forces Korea deployed two THAAD launchers and related equipment at the end of April 2017, just before President Moon Jae-in's election. Amid controversy over reporting omissions, four additional launchers were deployed in September of the same year after President Moon took office. Despite ongoing domestic conflicts over THAAD and China's opposition, the deployment became a fait accompli with North Korea's sixth nuclear test in September of that year, and since then, the system has been maintained in a temporary deployment and operational status.

According to Kim Yeol-su, Director of the Security Strategy Office at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, in his article "THAAD Performance Upgrade Plan and Security Implications" published in the institute's March monthly journal, the U.S. plans to change the THAAD launch system from a short-range wired type to a long-range wireless type to integrate missile defense capabilities on the Korean Peninsula. Currently, command is conducted via fiber optic cables, requiring the launchers and fire control centers to be close to each other. The U.S. military aims to overcome distance limitations by switching to remote wireless control.

Subsequently, the THAAD radar will be used for Patriot missile launches. Currently, the detection range of the Patriot radar is limited to 100 km, but the THAAD radar has a much wider detection range. The AN/TPY-2 radar has a maximum detection range of 1800 to 2000 km. Utilizing the THAAD radar in the Patriot missile system will enable earlier detection of enemy missiles.

Once this phase is completed, the Patriot missile system and the THAAD system can be fully integrated and operated together. With the integration of the two missile systems, incoming missiles can be more efficiently defended against during the terminal phase. The U.S. already tested the capability to launch intercept missiles remotely by deploying radar, mobile launch vehicles, and command centers in different locations near the Marshall Islands in the Pacific in August last year. Further remote launch tests for THAAD are scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year and next year.