Case for THAAD

[Anchor Lead]

U.S. Vice Admiral James Syring, director of the Missile Defense Agency, visited Korea to meet with reporters to present his case that the interception rate of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery is 100% and that the missile defense system has been operated in densely populated areas for ten years without problems.

[Pkg]

In an unprecedented move, Vice Admiral James Syring in charge of the Missile Defense Agency under the U.S. Department of Defense met with Korean journalists. Syring has overseen the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and other U.S. missile defense strategies since 2012. Director Syring first emphasized the safety of the THAAD system.

[Soundbite] Vice Adm. James Syring(Director, Missile Defense Agency)

In response to claims that the THAAD system's interception rate is exaggerated, he stressed that it successfully hit 100% of its targets in 13 tests. Regarding protests from China and Russia, the MDA director claimed that THAAD system is purely a defense measure against North Korea and has nothing to do with the U.S. missile defense system.

[Soundbite] Vice Adm. James Syring(Director, Missile Defense Agency)

Director Syring, however, did not release any environmental impact studies or detailed interception test results to support his remarks, citing their classification as secret military information.