薩德系統開始部署，中韓關係緊張升級
The U.S. deployed the first elements of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system to South Korea Tuesday, one day after North Korea launched at least four ballistic missiles, three of which landed within 350 km of the Japanese mainland.
Last year, Washington and Seoul agreed to expedite the U.S. missile shield deployment in the face of North Korea’s accelerated testing and development of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
"Continued provocative actions by North Korea, to include yesterday’s launch of multiple missiles, only confirm the prudence of our alliance decision last year to deploy THAAD to South Korea,” Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement.
Harris said the THAAD elements were deployed to honor alliance commitments to South Korea and to help defend U.S. troops in the region, U.S. allies and the American homeland. The THAAD system could be operational as early as April, according the South Korean military.
Like the Patriot missile system, THAAD uses missiles to shoot down incoming missiles. THAAD is a battery of 48 missiles on mobile erector launchers that uses powerful radar and infrared technology to intercept missiles within a range of 200 km, while they are in their descent phase.
China’s strong opposition to THAAD has sparked concerns in South Korea.
Beijing objects to the advanced U.S. weapons system as an unnecessary and provocative military escalation, and says the powerful radar the system uses to track incoming missiles also poses a potential threat to China.朝鮮發射了至少四枚彈道導彈後一天內，美國在韓國部署了其終端高空導彈防禦系統薩德（THAAD）的第一部分。朝鮮發射的導彈中有三枚落在日本大陸350公里以內的水域。
去年，華盛頓和首爾同意在朝鮮加速試驗和發展其核彈道導彈計劃的情況下，儘快部署美國的導彈防禦系統。
美國太平洋司令部司令哈里斯上將在一份聲明中說：“朝鮮繼續挑釁行動，包括昨天發射多枚導彈，這隻證明我們去年聯合決定在韓國部署薩德系統是經過深思熟慮的。”
哈里斯說，部署薩德系統目的是兌現聯盟對韓國的承諾，並幫助保衛美國在當地的駐軍、美國盟國和美國國土。根據韓國軍方的說法，薩德系統可以在4月份投入運行。
像愛國者導彈系統一樣，薩德使用導彈擊落入侵的導彈。薩德是一個48枚導彈發射的移動式彈道發射器，利用強大的雷達和紅外技術攔截200公里範圍內正在下行的導彈。
中國對韓國部署薩德系統的強烈反對引發了韓國的擔憂。
北京稱美國先進的武器系統是不必要和挑釁性的軍事升級，並表示該系統用於跟蹤來襲導彈的強大雷達也對中國構成潛在威脅。
