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Why is the US giving Israel a powerful anti-missile system?

2024-10-15 09:06:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Pentagon has confirmed that it is sending to Israel a high-altitude anti-missile system operated by US troops.

Officials say the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) battery will bolster Israeli air defenses following Iran's missile attack on the country earlier this month.

President Joe Biden has said he intends to "protect Israel," which is still expected to retaliate against an Iranian attack that included more than 180 ballistic missiles fired at Israel on Oct. 1.

There are already a small number of US forces in the country, but this new deployment of around 100 troops is significant as it signals further US involvement in the widening regional war.

It is also being scrutinized for clues about what it means for the effectiveness of Israel's missile defenses as the crisis escalates.

Israel has yet to launch its retaliation for Iran's attack, which will be "lethal, precise and above all, surprising" according to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Tehran said it fired at Israel because it killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah, in Beirut. It remains unclear whether the Thaad deployment is part of US contingency planning to overcome identified gaps in Israel's air defenses, or whether it indicates growing concerns in Washington about a more powerful Israeli attack on Iran.

President Biden has opposed any attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, as well as its oil or energy infrastructure, amid fears it would trigger a spiraling conflict and affect the global economy.

Whatever the background of the decision, it signals a further Israeli need for US defense assistance amid the widening war in the Middle East. Ballistic missiles like the Fattah-1 used by Iran earlier this month are launched high into the Earth's atmosphere, where they change trajectory and descend toward their target. One of their military advantages is their high speed compared to cruise missiles or drones.

The Thaad system is highly effective against ballistic missiles, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the largest US arms manufacturer.

Raytheon, another American arms firm, builds its own advanced radar.

The system counts six truck-mounted launchers, with eight interceptors on each launcher. It costs around $1bn (£766m) a battery and requires a crew of around 100 people to operate it.

Thaad is in high demand after involvement by Ukraine to counter Russian missile attacks.

Saudi Arabia has orders for it and is said to have wanted more as part of a US arms arsenal in exchange for formal recognition of Israel: a so-called "normalization" deal that largely broke down after the October 7 attack by Hamas. / CNA