The Thaad system in Israel

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated after Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on October 7 and the retaliatory actions by the Israeli regime. Gaza has still not achieved a ceasefire, and the shadow of war looms over some countries like Lebanon.In 2024, Iran was compelled to respond with missile strikes against Israel on two occasions. The first was in retaliation for the attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus. In response to this Israeli action, Iran launched missile strikes against Israel.The second was in response to assassinations, such as the targeting of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau in Tehran. On October 1, Iran responded with ballistic missiles against Israel.These responses and actions from Iran made Israel feel the threat more seriously, prompting it to request assistance from the United States.One of the actions taken by the U.S. after Iran’s missile strikes was to deliver the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system to Israel, signaling America’s commitment to support Israel.This system, along with 100 U.S. military personnel, is sent to Israel, meaning that American lives are now also at stake.The video above discusses the importance of this system for Israel and goes into further details.According to Tasnim News, the Times of Israel reported, citing Channel 12, that the U.S. plans to deploy the THAAD missile defense system to strengthen Israel’s air defense.”This news comes after approximately 12 days ago, missiles from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Operation Promise Fulfilled 2 breached Israel’s missile defense systems and, based on estimates, caused significant damage to the Israeli regime’s airbases and radar systems. It seems that, as a result of this operation, considerable damage was inflicted on the Israeli radar and defense network, which has led Israel to seek American assistance to bolster its air defense against Iranian missiles. However, this reinforcement may not be very useful for Israel because the Americans do not have a defense system capable of countering hypersonic ballistic missiles.”The THAAD system is an anti-missile defense system manufactured by Lockheed Martin, which officially entered service with the U.S. military in 2008. The system consists of four main components: the TPY-2 radar, command and control center, launchers, and intercept missiles. The radar is capable of detecting targets from a distance of 1,000 kilometers, and the missile’s range is 200 kilometers. It uses a solid rocket motor with a movable nozzle, which allows the missile to reach speeds of approximately 8 Mach.Each THAAD battery usually consists of six to eight launchers, each capable of firing eight missiles. This means that one THAAD battery can launch up to 64 missiles, with each launcher requiring about 30 minutes for reloading.The operation of the THAAD system is similar to other defense systems. After the radar detects a target and calculates the best point of interception based on its speed, altitude, and trajectory, the information is sent to the command and control center. The center then selects the best launcher for engagement with the incoming missile and issues the launch command, while also transmitting guidance information for the missile until it makes contact.