The Pentagon has officially confirmed that the US Army will deploy a battery of the THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense system as well as 100 service personnel in Israel, amid a possible strike on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory actions.
Such a system can intercept ballistic targets at a distance of up to 200 kilometers and the system is extremely relevant for Ukraine to intercept the russian Iskander and Kinzhal missiles. It should be noted that as early as December 2023 there were reports that Ukraine was negotiating with the US about the possible acquisition of THAAD.
Read more: Ukraine Presents Wishlist of Weapons to the United States: From Advanced THAAD to Drones and Transport Aircraft
However, almost a year later, that is, as of the fall of 2024, there are no new reports on how the THAAD story is developing for Ukraine. At the same time, it is already possible to talk about the fact of deploying a battery of such a system in Israel - against the background of the conflict in the Middle East.
It should be noted that the transfer of THAAD to this region brings its own difficulties for the American military, which The War Zone portal wrote about in its publication.
Here, first of all, we are talking about the American military themselves, who will serve the THAAD battery in Israel. Because, on the one hand, we are talking about a powerful anti-missile system, which, on the other hand, can be quite specifically threatened by the actions of Iran.
The next point is that the transfer of the THAAD battery to Israel increases the level of operational stress for the US Army. The US has only seven batteries of this system. The American military hopes to receive the eighth THAAD battery only next year.
Until such a replenishment has taken place, we have to assume that, in addition to Israel, one THAAD battery has already been deployed in another part of the Middle East and in South Korea. In addition, another THAAD battery is deployed on the island of Guam.
It is interesting that the authors of TWZ, referring to data from the Missile Defense Agency, indicate the approximate configuration of the THAAD battery - up to 9 mobile launchers for eight missiles each, one or two fire control centers and support vehicles, including generators. The composition of the battery, which the US Army transferred to Israel, is currently unknown.
Defense Express reported earlier about capabilities, specs, and prospects of transfer of the THAAD system to Ukraine.
Read more: How Much Time and Money will it Cost to Deploy Anti-Missile Defense if Ukraine Eventually Gets THAAD
