What is the THAAD anti-missile system that the US is sending to Israel?

A team of American military personnel arrived in Israel to prepare a THAAD advanced air defense system that the Biden administration is sending to thwart further attacks by Iran and its allies.

The Pentagon said in a statement Tuesday that the system would be ready “in the near future,” but did not specify the exact timeline, citing operational security.

THAAD adds another layer of protection to the various types of air defense systems that Israel uses to shoot down missiles.

Around 100 American soldiers They will go to Israel to operate the THAAD system, according to the Pentagon, bringing American service members closer to the heart of a widening war in the Middle East.

“It is a political message from the United States to Israel:

‘We are with you,'” said Yehoshua Kalisky, a military technology expert at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, Israel.

“And for the haters, it’s: ‘Don’t do it.'”

Here’s a look at the THAAD system and what it can do.

The system Terminal High Altitude Area Defense is a mobile surface-to-air interceptor designed to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles.

It is categorized as a short, medium and intermediate range interceptor that can attack incoming targets both within and above Earth’s atmosphere.

Each THAAD battery is made up of five parts:

48 interceptor missiles six truck-mounted launchers, a radar, a command and control platform and 95 soldiers, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The missile has no warhead and destroys its targets by strength of its impact.

There is only nine batteries THAAD active in the world, according to its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.

In 2019, according to the latest data available, seven of them were assigned to the US military, including five at bases in Texas, one in Guam and one in South Korea.

The battery that the Biden administration has commissioned from Israel would presumably be among those seven.

Two others are being sent to the United Arab Emirates.

The Pentagon announced almost a year ago that it would send a THAAD battery to the Middle East to help protect Israel, but did not specify where it would be.

Because it can reach above the atmosphere, THAAD should be able to intercept ballistic missiles launched from Iran and Yemenin, said Fabian Hinz, a missile and Middle East expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

It can also shoot down short-range missiles launched by Hezbollahin neighboring Lebanon.

Iran and its allies have also fired guided cruise missiles and drones, which operate at high altitudes and speeds. much lower than ballistic missiles.

Kalisky said THAAD would be particularly useful for intercepting debris from other missiles that have been shot down before they hit the ground, where they can cause casualties and damage infrastructure.

(He also said that THAAD has an exceptional radar that can detect incoming missiles from further distances).

But Hinz said they would likely serve as another layer of urgently needed air defenses, given that some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli interceptors during a bombing this month.

Iran is located more than 800 km from Israel.

“We have seen that the Iranian strategy is to fire large volleys to overwhelm Israeli defenses,” Hinz said.

“If you have additional interception capability, that’s pretty helpful.”

It is largely a question of range, that is, how far the missile can fly.

THAAD has a range of approximately 125 miles.

Its launchers and command centers can be moved to different sites.

Kalisky compared THAAD to one of Israel’s main defense systems, David’s Sling, a stationary weapon in a fixed location that can shoot down short- and medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles.

It has a range of approximately 300 km and is also a “hit to kill” weapon that knocks its targets flying towards it.

He David’s Sling is produced jointly by Raytheon and Israeli arms producer Rafael.

Then there is the serie Arrow from Israel, produced by Israel Aerospace Industries y Boeing.

Arrow 2 can intercept targets high in the atmosphere, with an altitude of approximately 50 km and a range of approximately 100 km.

It has a fragmentation warhead packed with explosives that can explode near incoming missiles even if they do not directly hit their targets.

He Arrow 3another lethal weapon, can go beyond the atmosphere with a range of up to 2414 km.

It is one of Israel’s most advanced defenses and was used to counter Iranian attacks on October 1.

Both the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 are land mobile launchers.

The system Iron Dome It is perhaps the best known of Israel’s air defenses, largely because it is used more than the others.

Its short-range interceptors (just 15 cm wide and 3 meters long) rely on miniature sensors and computerized guidance to target short-range rockets.

produces it Rafael the Israeli defense contractor.