Context

• Recently the China has issued a statement reiterating its long-standing objections to the presence of the US THAAD missile defence system in South Korea.

About THAAD

• THAAD is an acronym for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, a transportable, ground-based missile defence system.
• It is coupled with space-based and ground-based surveillance stations, which transfer data about the incoming missile and informs the THAAD interceptor missile of the threat type classification.
• THAAD is alarmed about incoming missiles by space-based satellites with infrared sensors.
• This anti-ballistic missile defence system has been designed and manufactured by the US company Lockheed Martin. South Korea is not the only country with the THAAD missile defence system.
• It has been previously deployed in the UAE, Guam, Israel and Romania.