After the super success of the Patriot missile defense system in Ukraine, the US Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) defense system is showcasing its stellar interception capabilities against missiles launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.
The Houthis have launched several attacks on Israel since October 2023, following the Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered a war between the two sides, and an indiscriminate bombing of the Gaza Strip.
These attacks, along with the missile strikes on ships transiting the Red Sea, were halted when both sides agreed to a ceasefire in January.
However, after Israel broke the ceasefire earlier this month, the Houthis threatened to resume their strikes, triggering a massive bombing campaign by the US Central Command (CENTCOM). Currently, the Houthis are launching attacks on the US assets in the region, as well as on Israeli territory, while themselves coping with US strikes.
In Israel, the US-deployed THAAD missile defense battery appears to be assisting Tel Aviv in shooting down incoming missiles. According to a recent report in Israel-based The Jerusalem Post, an American THAAD missile and an Israeli Arrow missile simultaneously intercepted the two ballistic missiles fired from Yemen over the weekend. The revelation was based on the debris discovered near Hebron following the interception.
However, this is not the first time that a US-origin THAAD system has eliminated an incoming threat from an Iran-backed militant group.
Much before the ongoing hostilities began, the UAE shot down a Houthi ballistic missile that was targeting an oil facility near Al Dhafra Air Base using the THAAD interceptor in 2022.
In Israel, the US-based missile defense system made its combat debut in December last year when it intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) also fired by the Houthis.
However, the latest interception is the first such documented evidence of the system’s operation after the Israeli bombing of Gaza and the Houthis’ missile strikes resumed. It is also significant because it comes after the stellar combat performance displayed by the Patriot missile defense system in Ukraine.
The Patriots deployed by the Ukrainian air defense forces were credited with shooting down several Russian Su-34 fighter bombers and the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which the Russian president projected as invincible. Moreover, unlike the THAAD, which has been used only sparingly, the Patriots saw action across the globe, including the Middle East, during the Gulf War of 1991.
This makes the latter’s operations in Israel crucial for assessing the system’s performance while dealing with real-time threats. Interestingly, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have decommissioned the Patriot missile defense system.
THAAD Is Adding Extra Coverage To Israeli Airspace
The US first deployed a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training and an integrated air defense exercise. In addition, a mobile AN/TPY-2 radar belonging to the THAAD Air Defense System has remained operational near the Nevatim Air Base since 2012.
The THAAD was deployed to Israel in October 2024 when threats of Iranian retaliation to the Israeli air strike on Iran loomed large. Though Iran never launched a fresh strike after Operation True Promise 2, THAAD has remained in the country to complement Israel’s existing air defense network. In fact, it scored its first kill just two months later.
A full THAAD battery comprises six launchers, a fire-control unit, the THAAD system’s AN/TPY-2 radar, and a support unit. The AN/TPY-2 radar system, part of THAAD, can monitor missile launches within a radius of 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers. THAAD and its radar can accept cues from Aegis, satellites, and other external sensors to extend their coverage area.
It is pertinent to note that Israel possesses a sophisticated, multilayered missile defense system comprising the Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome that can thwart anything from short-range unguided rockets fired from Gaza or Yemen to sophisticated guided long-range missiles.
The THAAD is the most advanced missile defense system in the U.S. arsenal. It has been deployed in several volatile locations worldwide, including Japan, South Korea, Guam, and Alaska. Due to its advanced capabilities, its deployment has elicited firm opposition from US adversaries like China and Russia. Not only does this radar render their missile launches “useless,” but it is believed that it could also relay information on missile programs inside these territories and launch elaborate and extensive surveillance missions.
However, Israeli media have likened the system to the Arrow-3. The Jerusalem Post report notes that “The THAAD is the US equivalent of the Israeli Arrow system but differs significantly in design and operation. Both systems were developed after the 1991 Gulf War when the Patriot system failed to intercept Iraqi Scud missiles.”
Originally designed as an anti-aircraft system, the Patriot was later modified to intercept ballistic missiles. Israel’s performance during the 1991 conflict made both the US and Israel understand that a specific system was required to combat specific threats. Thus, Lockheed Martin created the THAAD for the US Army, while Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) used US funding to construct the Arrow 2 system for the Israeli Air Force, states the report.
The Jerusalem Post notes, “Although they are designed to operate against similar targets, both systems differ greatly in their method of operation and cost.”
The report then makes the distinction by noting that the Americans insisted on a “Hit to Kill”—a direct strike on the target—while the Israelis created a missile that strikes close to the target and destroys it with a torrent of hot metal shards. This method removes the need for a warhead but necessitates more accuracy in tracking the target and guiding the missile. Nonetheless, both systems reach similarly extreme speeds of 9,000-10,000 kilometers per hour.
EurAsian Times understands that despite having similar objectives, the two systems are also very different. The THAAD is primarily designed to defend against threats in the terminal phase, unlike the Arrow-3, which has mid-course interception capability.
Moreover, the THAAD is known for its capability to detect and destroy threats from short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, unlike the Arrow-3, which is meant to eliminate longer-range threats.
This means that the US-origin missile defense system expands the area coverage and further enhances protection, as previously explained by the EurAsian Times based on input from military analysts.
Israeli media states that THAAD does not “provide Israel with any capabilities beyond those already offered by the Arrow system, but additional interception systems increase the Israeli Air Force’s ability to intercept even larger barrages should more come from Iran.”
Going by that assertion, the deployment of THAAD is still a win-win for both countries: as it provides additional coverage to the IDF and real-time combat experience to the US Army operators of THAAD. Moreover, the deployment of THAAD to Israel at the height of security threats demonstrates the iron-clad commitment by the US to its closest ally.
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