U.S. Forces Korea personnel operate heavy equipment at a Patriot (PAC-3) surface-to-air missile battery at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on March 5. Newsis

President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that the redeployment of some air defense assets from U.S. Forces Korea “won’t hinder deterrence against North Korea.”

But concerns are growing that South Korea’s air defense could be left vulnerable after international media reported that the U.S. may redeploy not only Patriot PAC-3 — a low-altitude air defense system the South Korean military had expected might be moved — but also elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

A day earlier, the Washington Post quoted two U.S. officials saying the U.S. military is relocating some components of the THAAD system to the Middle East. The move, according to the officials, is intended as a precaution in case Iranian retaliatory attacks escalate again.

Unlike the Patriot system, which South Korea can partially replace with its own air defense assets, THAAD has no comparable domestic alternative. Experts warn that prolonged tensions in the Middle East could deepen security vulnerabilities on the Korean Peninsula.

So far, assets within U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) known to have been or expected to be redeployed include the Patriot missile defense system, guided bomb kits and the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System, according to multiple military sources.

Flight tracking websites show that since the start of U.S. strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, U.S. military transport aircrafts, including C-16 planes as well as the much larger C-5 and C-17 have repeatedly landed at and departed from Osan Air Base.

The aircraft have previously been used to transport missile defense systems. During Operation “Midnight Hammer” last June, C-17 planes carried Patriot batteries when the U.S. carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The arrival and departure of the even larger C-5 aircraft at Osan Air Base is seen as unusual, raising speculation that the U.S. may be pulling out more Patriot batteries than it did last June — or possibly elements of the THAAD system.

But military experts say it is unlikely that the THAAD radar has been redeployed, as removing it would render the entire battery unusable. It is more likely that only some launchers and interceptor missiles were moved.

Source: Korea Times News