The Department of Defense will deploy an advanced air defense system and U.S. forces to operate it to Israel, the Pentagon announced on Sunday.
The Thaad system, Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, is a ground-based interceptor designed to shoot down ballistic missiles. The U.S. military has aided Israel’s defense during two large-scale Iranian attacks in April and October, though neither time was from inside Israel.
President Joe Biden directed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to authorize the deployment of the Thaad battery and associated troops “to help bolster Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on Oct. 1,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
“The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system. This action 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,” Ryder added. “It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias.”
It’s unclear exactly when the system and U.S. forces will get to Israel and where they will operate it from. About a hundred troops will be deployed to operate it, according to CNN.
The Biden administration is communicating with their Israeli counterparts over how the latter should respond to Israel’s recent missile barrage that consisted of firing about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.
More hawkish Israeli leaders have suggested the country should target Iran’s nuclear program and oil infrastructure, both of which would likely be viewed as escalatory. There are other military targets they could focus on that may not incur an Iranian response.
If an Iranian response included firing more ballistic missiles at Israel, the Thaad would help intercept them.
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Biden, himself, has stated his belief that Israel has a right to defend itself, but said the response should be “proportional.” He spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week for the first time since August.
Israel has a multi-layered air defense system that is designed to be able to intercept various projectiles coming from enemies near, like Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon, and far away, like Iran and the Houthis in Yemen.