How THAAD works, the powerful anti-missile defense system that the US will send to Israel against Iran

“By order of the president, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of a battery of the system High Altitude Area Defense Terminal (THAAD) and an associated crew of US military personnel in Israel to help reinforce the air defenses of Israel following Iran’s unprecedented attacks on April 13 and October 1″stated the United States Department of Defense in a statement.

LOOK: Iran’s nuclear sites that could be targeted by Israel’s retaliation (and the consequences that this would bring)

Each battery THAAD consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 ​​interceptors, radio and radar equipment, and requires 95 soldiers to operate.

“USA will immediately deliver to Israel air defense batteries THAAD to help intercept ballistic missiles”the Ynet and Channel 12 media revealed on Saturday, citing American sources.

Ynet said the move follows a request from Israel to Washington to send additional military assets to the region, in addition to providing assistance with air defense.

Israel has in its territory a radar system linked to the THAAD since 2012, but this is the first time that a missile battery complete with interceptors.

Late last year, the United States deployed one of the batteries in Middle East along with systems Patriot additional measures to reinforce the protection of its forces in the region after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas to Israel.

Channel 12 said that the decision to operate the system defense THAAD on Israeli soil comes in preparation for an expected Iranian response to the anticipated retaliatory attack that Israel ready against Iran and that will occur at any time.

Israel has promised to respond after Iran launched some 200 ballistic missiles against its territory on October 1, while the United States pressures the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu so that the reprisal be moderate and proportional.

The United States fears that Israel’s retaliation will include targets such as Iran’s oil industry and its nuclear program, something that could end up leading to an all-out war in the Middle East.

According to a NBC News report Saturday, U.S. officials believe Israel has narrowed its list of possible targets to military and energy infrastructure in Iran.

There are no indications that Israel attack nuclear facilities or carry out targeted assassinations, states the report, citing US officials on condition of anonymity. Israel has not made final decisions on how and when to actadds the report.

Iran alleged that its October 1 attack was retaliation for the assassination in Tehran of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh; of the elimination of the head of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah; and a prominent Iranian general identified as Abbas Nilforushanboth in Lebanon.

The American newspaper “The Washington Post” analyzed images and videos of the attack and confirmed that At least 25 Iranian ballistic missiles hit three Israeli military facilities.

According to that medium, 20 missiles hit the air base of Nevatimin the south of the desert Negev; and three others at the base of Tel Noflocated in the central part of the occupied territories. In addition, at least two missiles fell near the headquarters of the Mossad in Tel Aviv.

On Sunday, given the news that the United States will take the THAAD to Israelthe foreign minister of Iran, Abbas Araqchi, warned Washington that If that happens, he would be putting his troops “in danger.”

“We have made a tremendous effort in recent days to contain an open war in our region, “But I say clearly that we do not have red lines when it comes to defending our people and their interests,” he said. Araqchi.

In his warning Araqchi showed a graph that reflects the military aid provided by USA to Israel since 1960, with considerable peaks of up to 14 billion dollars per year weighted with its current value in the 1970s, coinciding with Israel’s wars with the Arab countries, but which now exceeds 17.9 billion dollars, according to official data from the Agency for United States for International Development (USAID). Between both peaks, the figure was more or less stable around 4 billion dollars annually.

What is behind the arrival of THAAD to Israel

Andrés Gómez de la Torrea specialist in defense and intelligence issues, told The Commerce that with this move “it is clear that US military cooperation, which consists of the transfer of these highly advanced anti-aircraft systems, They represent a kind of non-offensive escalation by Israel”.

“The United States is going to increase Israel’s defense capacity in the face of the potential Iranian threat that may come in retaliation. It is clear that Israel “It is preparing for the possibility of attacking Iranian nuclear power plants and receiving a ballistic missile attack in response.”Gómez de la Torre noted.

The analyst also referred to Washington’s ambiguous role in the current crisis in the Middle East, where he publicly asks Israel moderation and accept a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, and on the other hand continues to sign agreements for the delivery of weapons.

“About the United States, it is already difficult to say that it continues to indirectly support Israel, I believe that it was always direct and is in the context of something that is common, a double standard or double track diplomacy, because The American military commitment to the cause of Israel is clear in terms of military technology and defense support. “I think that was clear, despite the fact that Netanyahu was publicly asked for moderation,” noted Gómez de la Torre.

With respect to Iran and his warning against the supply of THAADGómez de la Torre said that it is clear that Its message has to do with announcing retaliation using its ballistic technology if its nuclear power plants are attacked..

“Iran has developed a great capacity to carry out these hybrid outsourced wars using its proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Iraqi resistance, the Houthis, etc., but leaving the box and constantly entering into the direct response to Israel It means entering a scenario that is going to be extremely complicated from the point of view of security and survival of the Islamic Republic, said Gómez de la Torre.

What is the THAAD system like?

He High Altitude Area Defense Terminal was developed in the United States by the Lockheed Martin company and has projectile launchers that have the ability to intercept ballistic missiles in their final stage.

Each battery costs $1 billion.

According to a report from the United States Congress in April, the country has seven defense system batteries THAADconsidered complementary to the system Patriotjust that with a longer range, between 150 and 200 kilometers.

The THAAD uses “hit the target” (hit-to-kill), in which kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead.

USA has displayed the THAAD in Guam, Hawaii and South Korea as a deterrent measure against North Korea.

How does it work? When the enemy launches a missile, the radar system THAAD It detects it and transmits the information to command and control, which orders the launch of an interceptor missile, which destroys the enemy projectile in the terminal phase of flight.