“We have the ability to put it into operation very quickly and we’re on pace with our expectations.”
The US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has confirmed that the THAAD advanced anti-missile system was now “in place” in Israel.
This follows the Pentagon’s decision to send the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and military personnel to Israel amid tensions with Iran.
“The THAAD system is in place,” Austin told reporters before his arrival in Ukraine on Monday, according to Reuters.
“We have the ability to put it into operation very quickly and we’re on pace with our expectations,” he added, but declined to say whether it was operational.
Reuters reports that the US military has rushed its advanced anti-missile system to Israel and it is now “in place”, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said.
Austin declined to say whether the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD was operational. But he added:… pic.twitter.com/hZKqBfpJOO
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 21, 2024
‘Protect Israel’
The missile defense battery “was sent by the US military to protect Israel in case of an Iranian reaction to an expected Israeli reprisal attack following Tehran firing 200 ballistic missiles at Israel earlier this month,” the Times of Israel reported.
I spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Gallant today to discuss regional security developments. I reviewed wide-ranging U.S. force-posture adjustments, including the recent deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system to reinforce Israel’s defenses in the face of…
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) October 19, 2024
Austin also told reporters that “it’s hard to say exactly what (Israel’s) strike will look like,” adding that it was “an Israeli decision.”
“And whether or not the Israelis believe it’s proportional and how the Iranians perceive it, I mean those may be two different things,” Austin stated.
He said the US was “going to do — continue to do — everything we can… to dial down the tensions and hopefully get both parties to begin to deescalate. So we’ll see what happens”
‘Three Batteries Functioning’
The Times of Israel reported that the KAN public broadcaster, citing two Israeli sources, said that the missile defense battery had begun operations in Israel. The report also said that the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya outlet “quoted sources saying that three batteries were functioning.”
President Biden says the deployment of THAAD and 100 US soldiers is to help “Israel defend itself”, with each THAAD battery reportedly costing between $1 billion and $1.8 billion
🔗 https://t.co/zoEb9jkplK pic.twitter.com/S6Id5J7GKU— TRT World (@trtworld) October 21, 2024
The paper said, “Around 100 US troops were expected to be deployed to operate the system, which is considered a complementary system to the Patriot system but can defend a wider area, capable of hitting targets at ranges of 150-200 kilometers (93-124 miles).”
Currently, Israel employs three air defense systems — the long-range Arrow, medium-range David’s Sling, and short-range Iron Dome. However, these systems have struggled to intercept certain types of missiles during recent Iranian retaliatory attacks, according to the Anadolu news agency.
Produced by Lockheed Martin
THAAD, manufactured by US defense company Lockheed Martin, is a high-altitude air defense system that intercepts ballistic missiles within and beyond the atmosphere. The system excels in providing high-altitude protection, integrates seamlessly with other Western and Israeli air defense systems, and boasts long-range target detection radar, Anadolu said in a special report.
The THAAD has a range of 200 kilometers and can destroy targets at altitudes of up to 150 kilometers. It integrates with other US defense systems, such as the patriot and aegis, as well as F-35 fighter jets and naval vessels.
Major Security Breach – US Documents on Israel’s Iran Attack Plans Leaked
In addition to Israel, the THAAD is currently used by the US and United Arab Emirates (UAE), while Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement for future procurement. The US supplied seven batteries under a $1.42 billion agreement in March 2022, with an eighth battery contract signed in April 2022 for $74 million.
Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel on October 1, striking dozens of targets, saying it was a legitimate response to Israeli crimes including the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel has vowed to retaliate, but Iran warned it to exercise restraint.
Major General Mohammed Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, has said, “If the Zionist regime is not restrained and acts against Iran, we will target all its infrastructure.”
(PC, Anadolu)
