Thaad: The US may move its anti-missile system out of South Korea – and it’s sparking unease

It can shoot down short and medium-range ballistic missiles, using hit-to-kill technology. That is, kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead. It can do this at a high altitude, beyond even the Earth’s atmosphere, which was seen as especially useful in South Korea, because it could be used to intercept and destroy a nuclear warhead.