THAAD Launchers Reportedly Have Returned to Seongju
It looks like missile defenses for USFK are back in place and may have never have left the country in the first place:
All six launchers of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system deployed in the southeastern county of Seongju have returned to base following their relocation in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, sources said Sunday.
The truck-mounted launchers were reported to have moved from Seongju to Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, in March, fueling speculation the U.S. military was planning to transfer THAAD missile interceptors to the Middle East to support the war.
The launchers and other parts of the THAAD battery, however, were believed to have remained in South Korea, as some of the trucks were later seen returning to Seongju.
U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson told a Senate hearing in April that THAAD remained in South Korea.
“Currently, we are sending munitions forward, and those are sitting right now waiting to move,” he said at the time, without elaborating.
You can read more at the link.
@GIKorea conveniently leaves out the fact that the missiles were sent to the Middle East, leaving only the launchers and radar in Korea.
What exactly is the value of a missile defense battery without missiles?
This is what you get for not voting for Kamala.
@Korean Person, so you have access the classified USFK information that all the THAAD interceptors were shipped out of Korea? All General Brunson said was that interceptors were shipped to the Middle East. He did not say all the interceptors were shipped. I seriously doubt all the interceptors were shipped off.
@GIKorea
Do you proof of this?
And if it was the intention of leaving some interceptors here, why pull all the launchers to Osan?
My goodness.. can’t the author simply state his own opinions? He’s putting his own thoughts based on what he knows.
Korea Thing:
@Korean person, that is my point, you don’t have proof that they were all shipped off because it is classified information USFK isn’t going to publish. The launchers are at Osan because that is how you transport the interceptors to put on the airplane. If you use common sense if the US military was going to ship every single interceptor to the Middle East they would have simply deployed the entire THAAD battery then. The fact they didn’t deploy the entire THAAD battery indicates that interceptors are likely still available in Korea.
@GIKorea
This is my point too. Of course the launchers are needed to transport the interceptors. So, if some of the rounds need to be transported, why send all six launchers to Osan? Why not two or four?
The THAAD battery in the Middle East is already there. They only need interceptors. Why send the entire battery in Korea to the Middle East?
Besides it will take about 10 or so C-17s to transport the entire battery while transporting the interceptors will take about one or two C-17 flights.
If you use common sense, obviously it is more quicker and cheaper to transport only the interceptors.
@GIKorea
Anyway, for the sake of argument, let’s assume you’re correct and that some of the interceptors are stationed in Seongju.
Out of the full complement of 48 interceptors, let’s also assume that only 24 are currently available.
Is it really acceptable that only half of the interceptors are available to defend major U.S. bases at Pyeongtaek, Osan, Kunsan, Daegu, and Busan?
Had Kamala become President, surely they would have been no war with Iran, and the full complement of 48 interceptors would still be in Seongju.