US to send THAAD anti-missile system to Israel to boost defences amid attacks
As Israel intensifies its military operation against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and possibly prepares for an offensive against Iran.
The United States announced it will deploy a missile defence system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) battery, to Israel. The Pentagon, US’s defence department headquarters, stated that the THAAD system will be sent along with US troops to operate it. This announcement came shortly after Tehran warned the US to keep its military forces out of Israel.
US President Joe Biden, in a brief exchange with reporters on Sunday, said that he agreed to deploy the THAAD battery “to defend Israel”, without elaborating further. This new deployment, the latest in the US’s series of supplies to Israel, comes amid tensions that risk further inflaming the conflict in the Middle East, despite widespread diplomatic efforts to avoid an all-out war.
Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder argued that the THAAD battery would augment the integrated air defence system of Israel, which already has an all-weather air defence system, namely Iron Dome. “It is part of the broader adjustments the US military has made in recent months, to support the defence of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias”, Ryder said in a statement.
Responding to the development, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, warned that the US was putting the lives of its troops “at risk by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel”. He tweeted, “While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests”.
The recent wave of conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah has been ongoing since October 8, 2023, when the Lebanese militant group began firing rockets across the border in support of its ally Hamas in Gaza. This escalation intensified last month after Hezbollah launched several rockets following widespread explosions, allegedly orchestrated by Tel Aviv. Israel also initiated a ground invasion into Lebanon.
It is widely believed that Israel is preparing a military response to Iran’s October 1 attack, when it fired roughly 180 missiles into Israeli territory.
WHAT IS THAAD DEFENCE SYSTEM?
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system is a ground-based missile defence system designed to intercept ballistic missiles in their terminal phase. This means it’s designed to destroy incoming missiles just before they impact their target, protecting against a variety of threats, including short-range, medium-range, and some intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
It can hit targets at ranges of 150 to 200 kilometres. It generally consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, radio and radar equipment and requires nearly 100 soldiers to operate.