The US has just confirmed that after consideration, they will in fact be deploying a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile battery to Israel in response to growing tensions with Iran. This comes as Israel prepares a potential retaliatory strike to Iran's October 1 ballistic missile attack.
The United States says that this "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.”
According to the Times of Israel, each battery consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, radio and radar equipment, and requires 95 soldiers to operate.
Thus, the THAAD system will mark the first time US military personnel have been involved in combat operations in Israel during the current crisis. While US troops are already in the region for humanitarian aid and air defense in neighboring countries, they have not yet engaged in combat within Israel itself.
The THAAD system will complement Israel's existing missile defense network, which includes the Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow systems. THAAD uses radar to detect incoming ballistic missiles and launches interceptors to neutralize them. The interceptors are kinetic weapons without warheads, capable of speeds over 6,000 mph with a range of 120 miles.
