Korean THAAD deployment accelerates
South Korea's deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is accelerating with the Ministry of National Defence (MND) signing an agreement with Lotte International for a proposed THAAD site, MND announced on 23 November.
The MND signed the agreement with Lotte International to acquire Lotte Skyhill Seongju Country Club (Seongju golf course), which has been selected as a THAAD deployment site. It plans to select an assessment and appraisal institution to calculate the market value of the site following which an exchange contract will proceed.
The site was selected in September. It will be exchanged with the military reservation in Namyangju.
The military reservation in Namyangju covers an area of 200,000 square metres; while the area of the Seongju golf course is 1.48 million square metres. Seongju golf course will come into the MND’s possession when MND and Lotte finalise their negotiation based on site appraisal and assessment results. Following the acquisition of Seongju golf course, the MND will hand over the site to the US Forces Korea that will operate THAAD in accordance with the Korea-US Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
The US bears all the costs for the THAAD development and operation, whereas Korea provides the site and infrastructure development.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression]()
Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression
Romania is retiring old systems, some Soviet, and replacing them with western equipment from countries such as Sweden and Turkey and boosting existing modern fleets.
-
![Milrem picks Texelis for partnership in drive to develop large UGV]()
Milrem picks Texelis for partnership in drive to develop large UGV
Milrem has delivered or is building a total of 200 Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System UGVs and has chosen Texelis as partner in its effort to develop a UGV.
-
![Sweden takes delivery of first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system]()
Sweden takes delivery of first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system
The most recent nation to join NATO has joined other member nations in using the M3 system.
-
![CV90 delivery to Slovakia imminent]()
CV90 delivery to Slovakia imminent
Slovakia is undergoing a radical refresh of its equipment, like many central and eastern European countries, and the arrival of new vehicles will form a substantial part of this.
-
![Mortar mobility: Patria’s TREMOS takes aim at the modern battlespace]()
Mortar mobility: Patria’s TREMOS takes aim at the modern battlespace
In conversation... Patria’s Lauri Pauniaho talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about how high mobility levels are essential for mortar systems in the face of modern counter-battery fire, and how a new platform-agnostic module can combine existing vehicles and mortar barrels into a cost-effective new weapon system.
