THAAD missile defences hit test target as North Korea tension rises

UNITED STATES: The United States said on Tuesday it shot down a simulated, incoming intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) similar to the ones being developed by North Korea, in a new test of the nation’s THAAD missile defences.

Planned months ago, the US missile defence test over the Pacific Ocean has gained significance after North Korea’s July 4 launch of an ICBM) heightened concerns about the threat from Pyongyang.

The test was the first-ever of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system against an incoming IRBM, which experts say is a faster and more difficult target to hit than shorter-range missiles.

The US Missile Defense Agency said the IRBM was designed to behave similarly to the kinds of missiles that could threaten the US. ‘‘The successful demonstration of THAAD against an IRBM-range missile threat bolsters the country’s defensive capability against developing missile threats in North Korea and other countries,’’ the Missile Defense Agency said.

The successful THAAD test adds to the credibility of the US military’s missile defence program, which has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, including because of test delays and failures. The US Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog, noted in a May report that the Missile Defense Agency had not previously tested THAAD against an IRBM, despite having deployed the system to the island of Guam, a US territory in the Pacific, in 2013 amid concerns about North Korea’s missile program. That means that, until the latest test, the THAAD system had an unproven capability against IRBMs, missiles that have a range of between 3,000km and 5,500km. Guam is approximately 3,400km from North Korea.

In order to hit the mainland United States, North Korea would need to fire an ICBM, which is defined as a missile with a range greater than 5,500km.

In the latest test, a THAAD in Kodiak, Alaska, intercepted a ballistic missile target that was air- launched from a C-17 aircraft flying north of Hawaii, the Missile Defense Agency said in a statement. A defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the test took place early on Tuesday.

This success leaves THAAD with a 100 percent track record for all 14 intercept attempts since testing began a decade ago.

The United States deployed THAAD to South Korea this year to guard against North Korea’s shorter-range missiles. That drew fierce criticism from China, which says the system’s powerful radar can probe deep into its territory.

Moscow and Beijing have called on Washington to halt deployment of THAAD in South Korea, saying it was a pretext to expand its military infrastructure in Asia and risked upsetting the strategic balance of power in the region.

Reuters