U.S. Army's Initial Deployment of THAAD Missile Defense System in Combat Recently Took Place in Israel

U.S. Army's Initial Deployment of THAAD Missile Defense System in Combat Recently Took Place in Israel
U.S. Army's Initial Deployment of THAAD Missile Defense System in Combat Recently Took Place in Israel
U.S. Army's Initial Deployment of THAAD Missile Defense System in Combat Recently Took Place in Israel

 

U.S. Army's Initial Deployment of THAAD Missile Defense System in Combat Recently Took Place in Israel

On Thursday, one of the United States’ esteemed Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) installations engaged in combat by launching an interceptor for the first time. Deployed forward in Israel, the system was utilized against a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) that was launched by the Iran-supported Houthi rebels based in Yemen, according to a report by a U.S. military representative to TWZ. The representative mentioned that as of Friday, it remained uncertain whether the U.S. interceptor or an Israeli one was responsible for neutralizing the missile. The initial successful interception by a THAAD battery from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) occurred in 2022, which can be further explored here.

Footage surfaced online purportedly displaying the launch of the U.S. THAAD interceptor in Israel earlier today. A voice was recorded claiming he had been “18 years waiting for this,” presumably alluding to the age of the system, considering the U.S. Army established its inaugural THAAD battery in 2008 after its development commenced in the early 1990s. 

In October, the THAAD battery along with around 100 personnel was sent to Israel to reinforce the nation’s defenses in anticipation of a possible Israeli retaliation for Tehran’s significant missile assault that took place earlier that same month. Although a counterstrike from Iran did not materialize, the battery has remained in position.

For several months, Houthi rebels have intermittently launched missile attacks towards Israel, including during the early hours of December 19 when Israel was executing airstrikes against various targets in Yemen. On Friday, the Yemeni rebel faction announced it had targeted Israel's Ben Gurion Airport with a missile and also aimed at Tel Aviv with a drone strike, all in retribution for recent Israeli bombardments on Sanaa International Airport, according to the Guardian. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the ballistic missile was intercepted prior to entry into Israeli airspace. Nevertheless, residents in central Israel were instructed to seek shelter due to concerns regarding falling debris, as the article indicated, mentioning that there were no reports of hostile drones operating over Tel Aviv.

The specific arrangement of the THAAD battery currently positioned in Israel is not definitively known; however, a unit of this type can consist of as many as nine transporter-erector-launchers, with each capable of carrying eight interceptors, a long-range AN/TPY-2 X-band radar, a mobile fire control and command and control center, alongside various support apparatus.

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December 28, 2024 at 10:47AM
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