From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 13, 2024
US confirms it will send THAAD air defense battery, soldiers to Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The US confirms it will send an air defense battery and American soldiers to Israel.
“At the direction of the president, [Defense] Secretary Austin authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of US military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1,” the US Defense Department says in a statement. “The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system.”
The deployment “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,” says Washington. “It 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.”
Each battery consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, radio and radar equipment, and requires 95 soldiers to operate.
The THAAD is considered a complimentary system to the Patriot system, but it can defend a wider area. It can hit targets at ranges of 150-200 kilometers (93-124 miles).
The Times of Israel Community.