The United States has announced the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and a contingent of U.S. military personnel to Israel to bolster its defense. This development comes days after Iranian state media claimed the destruction of a THAAD Radar in Israel.
“At the direction of the President, Secretary Austin authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1,” said an official statement released by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on October 13.
The development is significant since it comes when Israel is expected to launch a massive missile strike against Iran in retaliation for Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) missile attack earlier this month.
“This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran,” the announcement stated. The development follows Iran informing the U.S. that any attack from Israel will lead to further Iranian attacks on Israeli territory.
Interestingly, the deployment of THAAD was announced following Iranian claims that the IRGC had destroyed a mobile AN/TPY-2 radar belonging to the THAAD Air Defense System, which was deployed near the Nevatim Air Base. State media PressTV also published a video backing the claims.
Here is the moment when Iran successfully targeted a transportable Raytheon X-band radar belonging to the THAAD Air Defense System in occupied Palestine, followed by strikes with ballistic missiles on several areas within occupied territories. pic.twitter.com/MZVXbBPYnw
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) October 12, 2024
Iran claims that the destruction of the radar was followed by a barrage of missiles unleashed on the base housing F-35 Lightning II fighters.
Meanwhile, satellite images of Nevatim Air Base show details of the level of destruction Iran managed to achieve in its ballistic missile strikes; however, they fail to provide any evidence to support claims that the missiles managed to destroy a THAAD radar or F-35 stealth fighters.
THAAD’s Deployment
THAAD’s deployment triggered varied responses from military analysts, with some believing that it may be aimed at bolstering Israel’s defense if the nation was experiencing a shortage of Arrow-2/Arrow-3 interceptors.
Some experts highlighted that THAAD’s deployment to Israel may have been necessitated after the Iranian strike on the country’s military facilities exposed the gaps in the country’s famed ‘layered defense.’
On October 13, four Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah drone attack on a training base near Binyamina. This is the deadliest attack on IDF soldiers in twelve months executed by the Iranian-backed armed group.
Meanwhile, some analysts voiced concerns that the introduction of THAAD could escalate tensions in the region, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have little motivation to steer clear of sensitive targets in Iran, given that Washington would support him regardless of the situation.
Biden's decision to deliver the THAAD system before Israel’s attack represents another example of his desire to trust Netanyahu and give him the benefit of the doubt at the front-end of negotiations pic.twitter.com/pn2EYCW0Lg
— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) October 13, 2024
Other observers noted that since the U.S. possesses a limited number of THAAD batteries, providing one to Israel was risky and significantly raised the stakes for Washington.
However, most experts agree that the THAAD would complement Israel’s existing air defense network and help the country defeat missile threats from Iran.
When asked what the deployment means for Israel, Indian Air Force veteran and military expert Squadron Leader Vijainder K. Thakur (retd) told the EurAsian Times: “THAAD, as the name suggests, provides defense against long-range missiles that follow a different trajectory from shorter-range missiles.”
Israel already possesses a sophisticated, multilayered missile defense system that can stop anything from short-range unguided rockets fired from Gaza to sophisticated guided long-range missiles fired from outside the atmosphere. While the Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome form an advanced air defense network, the THAAD would expand the area coverage and further enhance protection, according to Indian military analysts.
Additionally, THAAD also has a demonstrated capability against Iranian missiles. THAAD made its first operational interception of an incoming hostile medium-range ballistic missile in the UAE in January 2022. The missile was fired by the Yemen-based Houthi militia that Iran actively supports.
How Powerful Is THAAD
THAAD is an anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot ballistic missiles in their mid-course and terminal phases (descent or re-entry) by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach.
A THAAD battery consists of a potent radar system, a fire control and communications component, and six truck-mounted launchers, each with eight interceptors. A complicated system, THAAD requires a minimum of 95-100 crew members to operate.
“This is not the first time the United States has deployed a THAAD battery to the region. The President directed the military to deploy a THAAD battery to the Middle East last year following the October 7th attacks to defend American troops and interests in the region. The United States previously deployed a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training and an integrated air defense exercise,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
When THAAD was deployed to Israel for military integrated air defense exercise, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the deployment of THAAD, stating that it strengthened Israel’s military ties with the United States and made Israel “even stronger to deal with near and distant threats from throughout the Middle East.”
With a near-perfect success record in testing, the THAAD defense system is one of the most potent anti-missile systems in the U.S. military’s arsenal. It can intercept ballistic missiles at ranges of 150 to 200 kilometers.
THAAD is the only missile defense system in the United States that can engage and destroy short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight or dive on their target using a combination of sophisticated radar systems and interceptors.
Because THAAD interceptors are kinetic, they eliminate targets by colliding with them rather than detonating near the incoming warhead.
The Missile Threat Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies states that in testing, production models of the THAAD system have never failed to intercept incoming targets.
U.S. adversaries fear the system, as demonstrated by Russia’s warning to the U.S. against providing Ukraine with the THAAD missile defense system. China also initiated a ferocious campaign opposing the deployment of THAAD in South Korea.
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