South Korea and the United States are in the middle of a
large-scale annual joint military exercise, codenamed Foal Eagle. For the first
time, the THAAD anti-missile system, which the two countries decided to deploy
in South Korea's Seongju county, was also included on the drill agenda.
South
Korea's decision to deploy the US anti-missile system in the Korean Peninsula
has drawn continuous protests from its neigbors, including the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), China and Russia.
South
Korea and the US say the deployment of THAAD is necessary to counter a growing
threat from the DPRK. But a closer look at the system's technical indicators
puts that claim in doubt. THAAD missiles have an estimated maximum range of
about 200 kilometers, which only touches the remote outskirts of the capital
Seoul. But the system's radar can monitor areas with a range of up to three
thousand kilometers. That covers all of the DPRK, and part of China and Russia.
Chinese experts say the THAAD deployment in South Korea serves as a mirror.
Through coordinating with other US systems around the world, THAAD in South
Korea will provide the US military with a real-time, comprehensive picture of these
countries.
Senior
Captain Zhang Junshe, who is the Vice President of the Naval Research Institute
of China, sees the use of the THAAD anti-missile system in the current joint
military exercises between South Korea and the United States as symbolic rather
than practical. He said THAAD is designed to counter ballistic and long-range
missiles and would be unable to intercept the short-range missiles the DPRK
would use if it launched an attack on Seoul. He adds that the joint military
drills will inevitably stoke tensions on the Korean Peninsula and likely prompt
a retaliation from the DPRK.
Kicking
off on Wednesday, the Foal Eagle war game involves ground, air and naval
forces, and will last until the end of April. In addition to a large numbers of
troops, the US has also sent strategic assets such as the USS Carl Vinson
aircraft carrier and nuclear-powered submarines. South Korean military sources
say the US f-35B stealth fighter will also take part in the ongoing drill.
Pyongyang
on Thursday warned of retaliation in response to the drill, saying the DPRK
army would counter the US and South Korean troops with the toughest
counteraction if they fired even a single shell into DPRK waters.
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