What Is THAAD, The US Anti-Missile Defence System Being Deployed In Israel

The Biden administration on Sunday announced it will send US troops to Israel along with an advanced anti-missile system, in a key deployment meant to boost the country’s air defences following missile attacks by Iran.

US President Joe Biden said the move was meant “to defend Israel," which is weighing an expected retaliation against Iran after Tehran fired more than 180 missiles at Israel on October 1. This comes as US troops in recent months have aided Israel’s defence from warships and fighter jets in the Middle East when it came under Iranian attack.

What is THAAD?

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, is a critical part of the US military’s layered air defence systems and adds to Israel’s already formidable anti-missile defences.

A THAAD battery usually requires about 100 troops to operate. It counts six truck mounted launchers, with eight interceptors on each launcher, and a powerful radar.

Who Built It?

Lockheed Martin, the biggest US arms maker, builds and integrates the THAAD system, which is designed to shoot down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Raytheon, under RTX, builds its advanced radar.

‘Combat-proven defence’

“THAAD is a highly effective, combat-proven defence against short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. THAAD is the only US system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere," according to the Lockheed Martin website.

“THAAD continues incremental capability improvements within the weapon system to continually improve effectiveness against current and emerging threats," it adds.

When Will It Be Deployed

Notably, US officials did not say how quickly the system would be deployed to Israel. The US deployed one of the batteries to the Middle East along with additional Patriot battalions to bolster protections for US forces in the region late last year after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas militants.

The Pentagon said a THAAD was deployed to southern Israel for drills in 2019, the last and only time it was known to be there. Experts believe that the THAAD will add another layer to Israel’s already significant air defenses, which include separate systems designed to intercept long-range, medium-range and short-range threats. Israel recently retired its US-made Patriot systems after decades of use.

(With agency inputs)