By Chang Dong-woo
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Army has activated an air defense battalion in Guam to bolster the island's defenses against regional missile threats, including those posed by North Korea and China, a U.S. military news outlet reported Friday.
The 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, held an activation ceremony on Oct. 16 at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and will assume the air defense responsibilities previously carried out by Task Force Talon, according to USNI News.
Task Force Talon began its rotational mission in 2013 to counter potential North Korean ballistic missile threats, but its responsibilities have since expanded amid China's growing missile capabilities, the report said.
The newly activated battalion is expected to operate Patriot, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Intermediate Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) systems as part of a layered defense network against ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft and drones.
"Guam's strategic location makes it an important part of U.S. military operations throughout the region by supporting joint force operations while making air and missile defense a critical part of protecting the forces and infrastructure needed to support those missions," the Army told USNI News.
According to the Army, the transition from a rotational task force to a battalion reflects the Pentagon's commitment to establishing permanent air defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
Guam, a strategically important U.S. territory in the western Pacific, currently relies on THAAD launchers and U.S. Navy Aegis-equipped warships on an as-needed basis for air and missile defense, according to the report.
This file photo shows a U.S. THAAD battery in Seongju, South Korea, on May 19, 2017. The photo is unrelated to the U.S air defense battalion in Guam. (Yonhap)
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