Scientists Claim THAAD Cannot Protect South Korea for North Korean Missile Attack
A group of scientists is claiming THAAD cannot effectively defend South Korea from ballistic missile attack:
Another scientist, David Wright, co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Global Security Program, said that a salvo of North Korean short-range missiles could overwhelm THAAD.
The 10 million people living in Seoul will also not be protected by THAAD, since it is being installed 125 miles south of the city. “It cannot engage missiles fired at Seoul, so it offers no additional protection of the city,” David Wright told the Associated Press.
“We have a layered defense systems, which is shared with the Republic of South Korea and Japan,” Commander Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesperson, told Business Insider in response to whether or not Seoul was protected. “But we don’t discuss specific weapons systems.”
As it stands, US Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile defenses provide protection for Seoul, though it has similar limitations to THAAD.
One scientist was even more wary of THAAD’s capabilities. Harris’ statement about THAAD is “technically incorrect,”Theodore Postol, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said.”The THAAD interceptor is very easily defeated by either causing a missile to tumble end over end or by intentionally fragmenting a rocket into pieces.”
In the case of a saturation attack, or a large volume of missiles as Postol described, THAAD’s defense capabilities “can be expected to be very low, probably zero or close to that,” Postol said. [Business Insider]
You can read more at the link, but of course if North Korea masses enough ballistic missiles at one location and there is not enough Patriot and THAAD interceptors to shoot them down then ballistic missiles will get through. When it comes to Seoul, North Korea can already destroy Seoul with artillery why waste ballistic missiles by shooting at it?
It seems they would want to use their ballistic missiles to target areas further to the south that their artillery systems cannot reach. Additionally as mentioned in the article THAAD is not the only missile defense system in South Korea with Patriot batteries deployed across the peninsula. THAAD has never been sold as being a magic force field to protect all of South Korea, it is part of a layered missile defense system to protect the country.
One place they would probably target is Daejeon, since that is where a lot of government offices have been moved over the last decade, and it’s the location of the SK “Pentagon.” Hate to say so, since I have relatives there, but it’s the logical choice for at last some missile strikes, i.e., decapitation strikes.
What are these “scientists”? The guy they quoted has never worked outside a university or think tank. He may be better at math and physics than the average bear; but, based on his published CV, he has no earthly idea how well missiles do or don’t perform. He’s just sad the KGB no longer pays the no nukes crowd… or did he just get a check from China or North Korea or Iran?
http://www.ucsusa.org/about/staff/staff/david-wright.html
Daejeon Government Complex holds such valuable targets as the Korea Forest Service and Cultural Heritage Administration.
Sejong, far from Daejeon (as the warhead flies), has slightly more valuable targets such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board.
Those could be attacked if North Korea had extra missiles and the ruling elites were tire of being ruling elites. Maybe they do and maybe they are.
The valuable military targets in the area are probably farther from any Daejeon or Sejong population centers than the accuracy radius of North Korean missiles.
So, chances are, your Daejeon relatives are pretty safe.
I hope you’re fucking joking, kiddo. Please tell me you are kidding. Do you think the Generals and Colonels understand the capabilities better than this guy? puh-lease bro.
RealLiveActualScientist,
In Setnaffa’s defense, your boy David Wright is a bit of a social justice warrior.
Maybe he looked at the facts and the world left him no other choice than to follow the calling.
But maybe the social justice warfare came first and he selects the “facts” which support his pet causes.
I don’t know which it is for David… but a lot of “scientists” these days spoil it for everyone by placing their ideological agenda over honest research… and then getting loud about it.
After reading some of the nonsensical leftist-agenda thoughts of people he surrounds himself with and the organization he promotes, I wouldn’t trust this guy if he told me water was wet.
Example:
Without showing any sciency research to back it up…
“the President’s rescinding transgender protections is damaging to the ability of all young budding scientists to reach their full potential.”
…’cause nothing says science like a man in a dress with títs and a tucked díck..
To quote a real live actual scientist, “puh-lease bro”.
Bill Nye I presume?
We know that
RLAS,
I realize you’re 4-5 cans short of a six-pack; but maybe if I type r e a l s l o w you can understand.
David Wright is no steel-eyed missile man. His CV does not show any work with aviation, aerospace, or defense industries,. And as so, as scientists go (i.e., publications and patents), he’s a described himself as a mediocre political analyst with a face built for radio.
If I’m wrong, please link to published scientific work he’s created.
“RealLiveActualScientist
I hope you’re fucking joking, kiddo. Please tell me you are kidding. Do you think the Generals and Colonels understand the capabilities better than this guy? puh-lease bro.”
So David Wright googled his own name, found Setnaffa’s criticism of him, and responded in a angry immature way…
…pretty much exactly as one would expect his angry immature organization to.
Eric Rasmussen on North Korea and Game Theory:
http://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2017/05/12/conventional_artillery_and_nuclear__missiles_in_north_korea_111363.html