American soldiers to operate THAAD missile defense system in Israel - report

 By JERUSALEM POST

A U.S. Army soldier with Task Force Talon, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command looks inside his tool bag during a routine maintenance inspection of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, October 26, 2017.(photo credit: U.S. Army/Capt. Adan Cazarez/Handout via REUTERS)

The decision would be implemented in an attempt to prepare for an Iranian response to an Israel strike.

American soldiers will reportedly send the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) air defense system to Israel in order to prepare for intercepting ballistic missiles, N12 reported on Saturday night.

According to the report, such a decision would prompt the US to station American soldiers in Israel to operate the THAAD system. 

The decision to operate the THAAD US air defence system on Israeli soil would come in preparation for an expected Iranian response to Israel's anticipated retaliation strike on Iran, the N12 report noted.

Following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also directed the deployment of the THAAD system to Israel, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). 

At the time, Austin also called for additional Patriot battalions to be deployed throughout the Middle East to increase force protection for US forces, the FDD added.

A U.S. Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system is seen on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, October 26, 2017. (credit: U.S. Army/Capt. Adan Cazarez/Handout via REUTERS)

What is the THAAD system?

The THAAD system is considered the middle tier of the US ballistic missile defense and is a mobile system that "fires a hit-to-kill interceptor capable of defeating ballistic missiles inside and outside of the atmosphere," the FDD noted.

In 2019, the US sent additional capabilities to Saudi Arabia, which included the THAAD system, following an Iranian attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, the US Department of Defense said in an issued statement at the time.

In the statement, former defense secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said that the decision was the "latest show of support" and that it involved some 3,000 US personnel. He also added that ongoing Iranian provocations at the time were the cause of an even larger support effort in the region.

Back in 2012, the United Arab Emirates attempted to acquire the THAAD system, as it requested the possible sale of the missiles for the estimated cost of $1.135 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. 

The proposed sale was expected to strengthen the "UAE’s capability to counter current and future threats in the region and reduce dependence on US forces," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency added. 

Israel has had a strict policy of keeping American soldiers from fighting Israel’s war on the ground and in the air. This would be a serious breach of that commitment.

Source: JERUSALEM POST