Washington [US], October 22: Fearing the risk of the Hamas - Israel conflict continuing to escalate, the US decided to dispatch an additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) and Patriot missile battalions to the Middle East.
According to Reuters, citing information from the Pentagon, the US is dispatching an additional THAAD missile defense system and Patriot missile battalions to the Middle East to deal with the escalating situation in the region.
"Following detailed discussions with President Joe Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxies across the Middle East, today I directed a series of additional steps to further strengthen the posture of the Department of Defense in the region," said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin .
In addition, Mr. Austin said that the Pentagon is adding more manpower to the ready-to-mobilize force, although the specific number has not been announced.
THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System) was first brought to Israel by the US in 2019.
Last year, THAAD had its first successful real battle when it intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles. According to DefenseNews , the Houthi attack took place in mid-January 2022 targeting an oil facility near al-Dhafra air base, where UAE, US and French forces are stationed.
During the attack, the UAE used the THAAD system to intercept a medium-range ballistic missile, marking the system's first actual combat.
The THAAD system has been developed by contractor Lockheed Martin (USA) since the 1990s to counter short-, medium- and long-range ballistic missiles. This system is designed to stop the warhead of a ballistic missile in its final stage, when it is about to reach the target.
Despite many challenges during the initial testing phase, the THAAD system gradually improved its reliability and was deployed by the US in many places such as Israel, South Korea, Japan, and Guam.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
