THE United States began developing the advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in Israelwhich is operated by US soldiers on the ground.
The THAAD system, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere, will work in coordination with Israel’s “Arrow” defense system. Both systems can share real-time interception tasks, offering a critical layer of protection in the event of an Iranian missile attack.
Growing concerns
The deployment of THAAD underscores growing concerns that any major Israeli military action could provoke swift Iranian retaliation.
Israel has had a radar system linked to THAAD since 2012, but this is the first time that a full suite of missiles with interceptors has been stationed in the country. The deployment follows years of joint U.S.-Israeli military exercises, such as Juniper Cobra, aimed at strengthening the countries’ air defense cooperation.
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