US Deploys THAAD Interceptors in Israel
(MENAFN) During a 12-day armed conflict in June, the United States deployed approximately a quarter of its stockpile of advanced THAAD missile interceptors in response to a barrage of over 500 ballistic missiles launched by Iran at Israel, according to media sources.
Reports from a news agency indicated that US forces operating two of the seven THAAD batteries stationed in Israel fired more than 100 interceptors, with the number potentially reaching as high as 150.
These batteries, which are each manned by 95 personnel, are equipped with six launchers and 48 interceptors designed to protect Israeli territory during one of the most severe missile offensives in the region's history.
Despite the activation of these advanced systems, a significant number of Iranian missiles breached the defenses, leading to substantial damage in Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv.
The missile strikes resulted in 29 fatalities.
Each THAAD interceptor is valued at approximately $12.7 million, and the United States only manufactured 11 of them in the previous fiscal year.
Plans for future production include 12 interceptors in 2025 and 37 in 2026, potentially leaving a gap in the stockpile’s readiness.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson reassured that “the US military is the strongest it has ever been,” highlighting the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iran’s nuclear sites.
However, an initial intelligence assessment suggested that Iran’s nuclear capabilities were merely delayed, not fully neutralized.
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