Defense boost: US deploys THAAD anti-missile system in Israel
The American Department of Defense has announced the deployment of the THAAD anti-ballistic defense system in Israel. We explain the reasons behind this decision and highlight the system's performance.
9:03 AM EDT, October 14, 2024
During previous Iranian missile attacks, the United States supported Israel with various resources, including the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer armed with SM-3 missiles. Now, a THAAD system battery has arrived on site.
This is not the first deployment of such a battery in Israel. It was previously stationed there after the attacks on October 7, 2023, and back in 2019 as part of integration exercises for American and Israeli air and missile defense cooperation.
THAAD — the anti-ballistic Patriot on steroids
THAAD stands for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. Conceptually, it is a strictly anti-ballistic system designed to intercept ballistic missiles while still in space. It is positioned between the Patriot system, which aims to intercept ballistic missiles in the final phase of their flight, and the GBI or future NGI anti-missiles, which eliminate targets far out in space.
Introduced into service in 2008, THAAD allows for the interception of ballistic objects at a range of up to 125 miles and an altitude of 93 miles. These parameters far exceed the approximately 25-mile range from the launcher for the Patriot system equipped with PAC-3 MSE missiles.
A THAAD system battery consists of an AN/TPY-2 radar with a range of approximately 621 to 1864 miles, depending on the target's radar signature. It also includes a command vehicle and typically six launchers mounted on HEMTT trucks, each housing eight missiles.
The anti-missiles used are two-stage constructions with a length of 20 feet, a diameter of 16 inches, and a launch mass of 1459 pounds. The first section is a solid-fuel booster that detaches after burnout, while the second is a maneuverable section with a guidance head and its own liquid-fuel rocket engine. The latter destroys the target through direct impact.
Guidance is provided by an electro-optical head with an infrared sensor that likely sees the target's thermal image. Lockheed Martin, the system's manufacturer, proudly announced in December 2023 that it delivered the 800th missile for the seven THAAD batteries in the U.S. Army's inventory.
