U.S. Sending Missile Defense System to Guam

The United States is preparing to send one of Lockheed Martin’s THAAD missile defense systems to Guam to protect U.S. interests from rocket launches by North Korea.

The missile defense system was already scheduled to be deployed to Guam in 2015, but that deployment is being moved up because of North Korea’s threats and unpredictable behavior. 

Threats from Iran also weighed into the decision to deploy the missile defense system sooner.

The U.S. has drawn attention to the deployment in hopes that it will serve to bolster allies, and the move may even lead some of them to purchase the missile defense systems for themselves. 

However, the U.S. is not providing any details regarding how fast the system will be operational once it arrives in Guam. Defense officials apparently want to keep North Korea and Iran guessing. 

Photo: Lockheed Martin