U.S. to deploy anti-missile system in South Korea

The Pentagon says it is planning to deploy a THAAD defence system to South Korea to protect against any North Korean missile attacks

TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENSE (THAAD)

Booster separates

AN/TPY-2 radar

Interceptor:

X-band antenna scans horizon

for missile threats

from kill vehicle (KV), which homes

in on missile using infrared seeker

Mobile command centre

KV

Humvee-mounted

computers receive

radar data for human

verification of threat

Booster

Destroys

KV:

missile by force

of impact

Launcher

Radar

range

1,000km

Receives

targeting data.

Incoming

missile can

be intercepted

inside or just

outside Earth’s

atmosphere

Launcher

carries eight

interceptors

Missile

threat

launch

INTERCEPTOR

Shroud

THAAD radar range

1,000km

RUSSIA

Kill vehicle

Diameter

0.37m

NORTH

KOREA

Interstage

CHINA

Booster

Powered by

single-stage

solid-propellant

rocket motor with

thrust vectoring

SOUTH

KOREA

JAPAN

300km

THAAD

intercept

range

200km

Flare

200 miles

900kg

Weight:

Mach 8.24

Speed:

Sources: U.S. Department of Defence, The Heritage Foundation