What is the THAAD Missile Defense System and Why Has the U.S. Deployed It in Israel?

The U.S. government has announced the deployment of the advanced THAAD missile defense system along with approximately 100 soldiers to operate it in Israel. Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, stated to reporters on Monday, October 30, before heading to Ukraine, that the U.S. military has sent this missile defense system to Israel, which is now established in the country. He did not elaborate on when the system would become operational but mentioned, "We have the capability to operationalize it very quickly." However, the television network "Kan" reported on Sunday night that Israeli officials confirmed in discussions with the network that the system is operational. The U.S. Department of Defense stated last week that the deployment of the THAAD system, formally known as the "Terminal High Altitude Area Defense," will enhance Israel's air and missile defense, which is one of the strongest in the world. What is THAAD? THAAD is one of the most advanced and powerful missile defense systems in the U.S. military's arsenal. Israel currently uses a combination of several systems developed in cooperation with the U.S., including the Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow, to intercept and destroy drones, rockets, and missiles at various altitudes and distances. THAAD is equipped with advanced radar that can detect missiles at longer ranges, and its interception equipment has a longer range. Hussein Aryan, a military expert in the UK, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, "THAAD is a superior missile defense system and has a much broader coverage and range compared to Israel's air defense systems." Why has the U.S. deployed THAAD in Israel? Following Iran's attack with 180 ballistic missiles on October 1, which some experts believe exposed the vulnerabilities of Israel's missile defense systems, the U.S. government decided to deploy a THAAD system in the country. Hussein Aryan believes that the Iranian attack prompted the U.S. to strengthen Israel's missile defense to counter a "potential further attack from Iran." The missile attack on October 1 was the largest direct attack by Iran on Israeli territory and was a response to the assassination of leaders and senior officials of the extremist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as Israel's military incursion into Lebanon. The U.S. considers Hamas and Hezbollah to be terrorist groups. What we know about the damages from Iran's missile attack on Israel: Israel has downplayed the damages from the Iranian missile attack, but satellite images show that about 30 Iranian ballistic missiles struck inside and around the Nevatim airbase in southern Israel, damaging parts of the buildings and runway of this base. The Nevatim base is home to the Israeli Air Force's American F-35 fighter jets. Experts say that the Iranian missiles struck very close to the location of these fighter jets within the Nevatim base. Another missile also struck very close to the central building of Mossad in Tel Aviv. Israel has repeatedly warned in various forms that it would respond severely to Iran's missile attack. Meanwhile, in a drone attack by Hezbollah on October 14, four Israeli soldiers were killed and several others injured. Shashank Joshi, a guest lecturer at King's College London, stated that the reason for the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in Israel is that "the U.S. anticipates that Israel's retaliatory attack on Iran will be very large and severe, likely prompting a reciprocal attack from Iran on Israel." Mr. Joshi, who is also the defense editor of The Economist magazine, believes that Israel has various options for attacking Iran, ranging from military and weapon facilities to nuclear installations and even Iranian leaders. He added, "Whichever target Israel chooses to attack, it is likely to face a severe retaliatory attack from Iran."