US to send missile defense system and troops to Israel
The United States said on October 13 (local time) that it will send troops and advanced missile defense systems to Israel, in an unusual move to boost Israel's air defenses after missile attacks from Iran.
US President Joe Biden said the move was to "protect Israel", which is considering retaliation against Iran after Tehran fired more than 180 missiles at Israel on October 1.
The US has privately urged Israel to calibrate its response to avoid provoking a wider war in the Middle East, according to officials. Biden has publicly opposed an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and expressed concern about attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Pentagon spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder described the deployment as part of “larger adjustments the US military has made in recent months” to support Israel and protect US personnel from attacks from Iran and Iran-backed groups.
However, deployments of US troops to Israel are rare except for exercises, given Israel's strong military capabilities. In recent months, the US military has supported Israel's defense from warships and fighter jets in the Middle East when the country has been attacked by Iran, but these forces are based outside of Israel.
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is a key part of the US military's layered air defense systems and adds to Israel's already robust missile defense system.
A THAAD battery, which typically requires about 100 soldiers to operate, consists of six truck-mounted launchers with eight interceptor missiles each, along with a powerful radar.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned on October 13 that the US was "putting its soldiers in danger" by deploying troops to operate missile systems in Israel.
“While we have made great efforts in recent days to prevent a full-scale war in the region, I make it clear that we have no red lines in protecting our people and interests,” Foreign Minister Araqchi posted on X (formerly Twitter).
However, experts say Iran has been trying to avoid a direct war with the US, and the deployment of US forces to Israel is another factor in its calculations.
Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel in April. Then, on October 1, Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon. Many were intercepted in mid-air, but some made it past the defenses.
US officials have not said how quickly the system will be deployed to Israel. The Pentagon said THAAD was deployed to southern Israel for exercises in 2019, the last and only time the system has been there.
Lockheed Martin, America’s largest arms maker, builds and integrates the THAAD system, designed to shoot down short-, medium- and long-range ballistic missiles. Raytheon, part of RTX, builds the system’s advanced radar.
