Pentagon Spokesman Peter Cook Says U.S. Is Eager To Provide South Korea With $800 Million THAAD Anti-Missile Technology

by Jesse Lent / Feb 08, 2016 05:55 PM EST

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook says the U.S. is eager to deploy an $800 million Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD).

a missle launcher on the North Korean border

The North Korean government may be celebrating the launch of both a long-range missile and a rocket within the last 48 hours with a dramatic fireworks display in the capital city of Pyongyang on Monday, but it is their sworn enemy to the south that could be on the verge of a new era of military technology.

In a statement to the international news organization Agence France-Presse on Monday, representative for the Pentagon Peter Cook said the U.S. was eager to deploy an $800 million Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) to South Korea's northern border to protect against their rogue neighbor.

"Without getting into a timeline, we'd like to see this move as quickly as possible," Cook said. "We are beginning the consultations now and in the current days with the South Koreans, and we expect that this will move in an expeditious fashion."

Cook also clarified that North Korea is the only nation that would be in a potential THAAD system's site.

"If the THAAD system were deployed to the Korean Peninsula, it would be focused solely on North Korea, contributing to a layered missile defense that would enhance the alliance's existing missile defense capabilities against potential North Korean missile threats," he said.

"This is a defensive system put in place. We don't believe it should pose any kind of concern to the Chinese."

The system, which can immobilize ballistic weapons being fired at up to intermediate range is necessary to reel in an increasingly dangerous situation Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, head of U.S. forces in Korea, told CNN on Sunday.

"North Korea continues to develop their nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs and it is the responsibility of our alliance to maintain a strong defense against those threats," Scaparrotti said.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest cited a broad consensus in the global community that something substantial must be done about North Korea, according to the New York Times.

And THAAD is apparently only the beginning.

"There certainly is an agreement about an impactful response being necessary," Earnest said. "That means considering a range of economic sanctions that would further isolate North Korea."