U.S. General Wants Stronger S. Korean Missile Shield

The nominee to lead U.S. forces in South Korea yesterday urged Seoul to add aircraft-borne lasers and other systems to its missile defenses, the Yonhap News Agency reported (see GSN, Jan. 3).

“I think as you look across the entire missile defense spectrum, you have to have a layered defense that … works all the way down to Aegis and other ground-based systems to intercept the missiles,” Army Lt. Gen. Walter Sharp said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

“And I believe that airborne lasers are a critical part of that ballistic missile enterprise to be able to allow for that effective defense,” said Sharp, who by this summer could replace Gen. Burwell Bell as head of U.S. Forces Korea.

Airborne lasers would provide a defense against short-range missiles as an alternative to Patriot air-defense batteries.  The laser option is a “new approach” that “may well become an issue in the coming days,” said one South Korean source.

Sharp said South Korea faces a significant threat from missiles that could be fired by its Stalinist neighbor to the north.

North Korea is producing missiles “of increasing range, lethality and accuracy, bolstering its current stockpile of 800 missiles for its defense and external sales,” he said.  “The Republic of Korea does not currently possess a ballistic missile defense capability that can fully integrate with U.S. BMD systems.

“In the near term, the Republic of Korea must develop a systematic missile defense solution to protect its critical civilian and military command capabilities, critical infrastructure and population centers,” Sharp added.

While upgrades of Patriot Advanced Capability 3 batteries are providing increased protection for U.S. installations in South Korea, there are not sufficient systems deployed to match the threat from North Korea, Sharp said (Yonhap News Agency, April 4).

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