South Korea and the U.S. should build a "layered" ballistic missile defense capability, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea said, in what could be seen as a call for deploying the THAAD system designed to intercept incoming missiles at high altitudes.
  

Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti made the remark in a written testimony submitted Wednesday to the House appropriations subcommittee on defense amid intensifying debates in South Korea about whether to accept a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery.
  

Scaparrotti is the one who brought up the need for a THAAD battery in South Korea for the first time in June last year. The issue has since become one of the most sensitive defense and political issues in Seoul as China and Russia have expressed strong opposition to such a deployment.
  

"Due to the nature of the evolving threat, particularly ballistic missiles, it is critical for the alliance to build a layered and interoperable BMD (ballistic missile defense) capability," Scaparrotti said in the statement.
  

"Each nation has unique contributions to make to missile defense. While the U.S. has an existing layered BMD capability, the ROK is moving forward in the development of its KAMD and 'Kill Chain.' It is essential that we work together to ensure interoperability of alliance BMD capabilities," he said.
  

Intense debates have been going on in South Korea about the THAAD system.
  

Supporters say the advanced missile defense unit is necessary to meet ever-growing missile and nuclear threats from North Korea, while opponents claim mid- and lower-altitude missile interceptors are enough for the South as the North is unlikely to attack the country with such high-altitude missiles.
  

Opponents also claim a THAAD deployment would cause unnecessary tension with China.
  

China has increased pressure on Seoul to reject the THAAD. Earlier this week, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Jianchao said in Seoul that the South should take China's "concerns and worries" into consideration when making a decision on the issue.
  

Adm. Samuel Locklear, chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, also said in a written testimony to the subcommittee that the command will continue "its efforts in maintaining a credible, sustainable ballistic missile defense" to cope with the North's efforts to advance its ballistic missile capabilities.
  

"The recent deployment of long range second TPY-2 radar to Japan (December 2014) along with THAAD on Guam achieving full Fully Operational Capability further enhanced U.S. homeland defense capabilities which are required to protect key regional nodes from aggressive action," he said. (Yonhap)