萨德系统开始部署，中韩关系紧张升级

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.

朝鲜发射了至少四枚弹道导弹后一天内，美国在韩国部署了其终端高空导弹防御系统萨德（THAAD）的第一部分。朝鲜发射的导弹中有三枚落在日本大陆350公里以内的水域。

去年，华盛顿和首尔同意在朝鲜加速试验和发展其核弹道导弹计划的情况下，尽快部署美国的导弹防御系统。

美国太平洋司令部司令哈里斯上将在一份声明中说：“朝鲜继续挑衅行动，包括昨天发射多枚导弹，这只证明我们去年联合决定在韩国部署萨德系统是经过深思熟虑的。”

哈里斯说，部署萨德系统目的是兑现联盟对韩国的承诺，并帮助保卫美国在当地的驻军、美国盟国和美国国土。根据韩国军方的说法，萨德系统可以在4月份投入运行。

像爱国者导弹系统一样，萨德使用导弹击落入侵的导弹。萨德是一个48枚导弹发射的移动式弹道发射器，利用强大的雷达和红外技术拦截200公里范围内正在下行的导弹。

中国对韩国部署萨德系统的强烈反对引发了韩国的担忧。

北京称美国先进的武器系统是不必要和挑衅性的军事升级，并表示该系统用于跟踪来袭导弹的强大雷达也对中国构成潜在威胁。