The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that the United States has begun deploying the “THAAD” anti-missile system in Israel to help counter Iran’s missile threats. The first batch of components and a vanguard team of US military personnel responsible for operating the system arrived in Israel on Monday.
According to Pentagon spokesperson, Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, “Yesterday, on October 14th, a vanguard team of US military personnel and the initial components needed to operate the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, known as the THAAD system, arrived in Israel.”
“In the coming days, more US military personnel and THAAD system components will continue to arrive in Israel,” the statement continued. “The system will be fully operational in the near future, but we will not discuss the timeline for operational security reasons.”
Ryder concluded in the statement, “Deploying THAAD to Israel underscores America’s commitment to defending Israel and protecting Americans in Israel from Iran’s ballistic missile attacks.”
The Pentagon first announced on Sunday its decision to provide Israel with the “THAAD” anti-missile system and deploy about 100 US troops to operate this advanced air defense system. Ryder stated in Sunday’s announcement that following Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israel in April and October, the system will help enhance Israel’s aerial defense capabilities.
Israel is preparing for a military response to Iran’s attack on October 1st, when Iran launched approximately 180 missiles at Israel.
The “THAAD” defense system is one of the most powerful anti-missile weapons in the US military, capable of intercepting short, medium, and limited intermediate-range ballistic missiles flying within a range of 150 to 200 kilometers (93 to 124 miles) both inside and outside the atmosphere, with a near-perfect success rate in testing.
Ryder mentioned on Sunday that the US previously deployed a set of THAAD systems to Israel in 2019 for exercises only.