Shield to protect Guam from North Korean ballistic missiles

The US and Japan deployed multiple Aegis and THAAD systems to shoot down North Korean missiles aimed at Guam.

THAAD battery on Guam island practices destroying targets.

North Korea on August 10 revealed plans to launch four Hwasong-12 long-range missiles (IRBMs) into the area around Guam Island, where many important US military bases in the Pacific are located. However, these missiles will likely be shot down by US and Japanese defense shields before reaching their destination, according to Business Insider.

Military expert Alex Lockie said that to deal with the threat from North Korean missiles, the US and Japan have deployed a large-scale missile defense network, including many Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, an Aegis Ashore complex in Japan and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Guam.

"The first step to stopping North Korean missiles is for the US and Japan to discuss the conditions and timing for shooting down the missiles," said Stratfor analyst Roger Baker. If North Korean missiles are aimed at dangerous areas, both countries will coordinate to intercept them. Conversely, if they fall into the sea, the US and Japan will stand still.

Once it is determined that Pyongyang's missile poses a threat, Washington and Tokyo will deploy a series of warships equipped with the modern Aegis system to optimal positions along the missile's flight path.

US cruiser tests SM-3 Block IIA missile. Photo: UPI

The main US long-range interceptor force in Asia is 16 cruisers and destroyers equipped with the Aegis system, of which 5 are permanently stationed at Yokosuka port, Japan. Tokyo also owns 6 Aegis complexes on the advanced Kongo and Atago class destroyers.

The AN/SPY-1D passive electronically scanned array radar on Aegis can detect and track a wide range of ballistic missiles from short to long ranges. Each Arleigh Burke, Atago and Kongo-class warship is equipped with four AN/SPY-1D radars, allowing it to track 800 targets in all directions at once. The Aegis system can also get data from the long-range AN/TPY-2 radar, a component of the THAAD shield.

Once the target is identified, one of six warships carrying SM-3 missiles from the US or Japan will fire. This is a type of missile specialized in exoatmospheric interception, tasked with destroying enemy ballistic missiles in the mid-flight phase. The latest version of SM-3 Block IIA has a range of up to 2,500 km, reaching a speed of 16,200 km/h.

In case the North Korean missile gets through the Aegis combat system, it will have to continue to face the THAAD battery equipped with 48 interceptor missiles and the AN/TPY-2 radar system deployed by the US in Guam since April 2013.

"THAAD and Aegis are capable of intercepting North Korea's Hwasong-12 missile. If both systems are deployed, the success rate is 96%," said Mike Elleman, a missile defense expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

North Korea's plan to fire missiles at Guam.

However,The US and Japanese missile defense systems have only been operating under test conditions and have never been tested in actual combat. If this shield is allowed to penetrateIf a North Korean missile falls near Guam, the credibility of the US and Japanese militaries will be severely damaged.

With the risk of damaging the defense shield's credibility too great, the US and Japan will not intercept North Korean missiles unless they pose a real threat, expert Alex Lockie stressed.

According to VNE