What is the THAAD antimissile system that the US is sending Israel?

Washington wants to test if its advanced THAAD system is useful against Iran’s new hypersonic ballistic missiles, analysts say.

In its latest round of military assistance to Israel, the United States will send its advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system.

The US will also send soldiers to operate the system, the Pentagon said on Sunday.

It is unclear when the deployment will take place.

Here’s why the US is deploying the THAAD system in Israel now:

THAAD is an advanced missile defence system that uses a combination of radar and interceptors to thwart short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Its missiles have a range of 150 to 200km (93 to 124 miles), and the system is made by US defence and aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

It can intercept missiles inside and outside Earth’s atmosphere during their final stage of flight, which begins when the detached warhead re-enters Earth’s atmosphere and ends upon detonation, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

According to an April report by the Congressional Research Service, THAAD batteries usually are made up of 95 soldiers, six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors – eight for each launcher – one radar system, and a fire control and communications component.

The number of launchers and interceptors can vary.

One THAAD battery costs from $1bn to $1.8bn, according to Hanna.

According to the Congressional Research Service report, the US army has deployed seven THAAD batteries, including to South Korea and Guam.

What is the THAAD system?

According to a statement published by the US Department of Defense on Sunday, the US previously deployed a THAAD battery to southern Israel in 2019 “for training and an integrated air defense exercise”.

However, this battery was taken back to the US after the exercise, Hanna said.

Hanna said the THAAD and Iron Dome systems can work together to protect from a higher altitude and minimise damage from a longer distance.

“In the last Iranian attack, Iran improvised something we had never seen before,” military analyst Elijah Magnier said, referring to Iran’s attack on Israel on October 1 when it fired nearly 200 missiles on major cities and towns.

Iran launched the missiles “into three corridors, or three locations, making it impossible for any interceptor to bound them all”, Magnier said.

Iranian state media said Fattah hypersonic ballistic missiles were used for the first time, a claim media was unable to independently verify.

Fattah, unveiled in 2023, is a missile the US has never come up against, and Washington wants to “test” whether THAAD can intercept it, Magnier said.

On Sunday, a statement said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorised the deployment of a THAAD system to Israel to help boost the country’s air defences.

“This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel … from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran,” the statement added.

“The [THAAD] systems are so complex that it requires a crew of 94 to operate – a trained crew of 94 – and these will be US soldiers,” Hanna reported from Washington, DC.