What is THAAD, which US is sending to Israel; why this is significant

A press release by the US department of defence said THAAD will “help bolster Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1… This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran.”

What is THAAD, and why is the US sending it to Israel significant? We explain

What is THAAD?

A THAAD battery consists of 95 soldiers, six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors (eight per launcher), radar surveillance and radar, and a tactical fire component, according to a paper by the US Congressional Research Service.

THAAD provides a “rapidly deployable capability against short-range (up to 1,000 km), medium-range (1,000–3,000 km), and limited intermediate-range (3,000–5,000 km) ballistic missile threats inside or outside the atmosphere during their final (terminal) phase of flight,” the paper says.

Employing “hit-to-kill” technology to destroy threat missiles, the THAAD can defend a larger area than the older Patriot Air and Missile Defense System. It has been developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Why is THAAD being sent to Israel significant?

According to the US defence department press release, the latest decision is “part of the broader adjustments the US military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias.”

In effect, this means that a highly advanced American defence system, along with an “associated crew of US military personnel” will be directly stationed in Israel, at a time when the situation in West Asia is already highly tense.

Iran has warned the US against more involvement in the West Asian conflict. “The US has been delivering record amount of arms to Israel. It is now also putting lives of its troops at risk by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel. While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests.Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X on Sunday.

Israel is readying a revenge plan for the missile attack by Iran on October 1, and the US is learnt to have urged restraint. The presence of its missile defence system is likely to serve as a deterrent to Iran, and reassurance to Israel.

Iran has fired missiles on Israel twice since the Gaza war began October last year, and the US along with its allies has helped defend the Jewish nation.

The THAAD being stationed in Israel, however, is a more significant step. Notably, Ukraine has been requesting a THAAD battery for a long time to defend itself against Russia, but has been refused.

THAAD is not only very expensive to use, it requires trained US personnel to operate it. According to an article in European Security and Defence, “While the export model of PATRIOT is estimated to cost nearly USD 1 billion, THAAD’s price tag for a single battery is estimated at approximately USD 2.5 billion.”

Israel already has an advanced, multi-tiered air defence system, and the THAAD significantly bolsters it. Iran does have one advantage, however — it spends much less on firing missiles than Israel and the US do on intercepting them.