On March 17, Michael Duffey, US Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, avoided answering questions regarding the timeline for THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) deployment to the ‘Republic of Korea (ROK)’ during a hearing before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.
When asked that day, “How long will the (THAAD) redeployment last, and do you intend to replenish THAAD assets in the ‘ROK’?” he replied, “I have no knowledge of the specific duration of the asset redeployment, nor can I comment on it.”
When asked, “How do you think the THAAD redeployment will affect short-term deterrence on the Korean Peninsula and, by extension, in the Indo-Pacific region?” he replied, “My area of responsibility is acquisition and the defense industry. I do not have a firm opinion on this, so I believe I must defer the answer to someone else.”
Previously, THAAD launchers deployed at the US military base in Seongju were moved to the US military base in Osan. Osan Air Base is known for frequent takeoffs and landings of large US military transport aircraft.
The Washington Post reported on March 9 that “the US military is moving some of the THAAD systems deployed in the ‘ROK’ to the Middle East.”
While the ‘ROK’ and US military authorities have not officially commented on the removal of THAAD, Lee Jae-myung, the president of the ‘ROK’ stated on March 10, “Although we have expressed opposition to the US Forces Korea removing some air defense weapons based on military necessity, the harsh reality is that we cannot fully enforce our position.”
