What Are US THAAD Systems? Weapons Deployed Amid Growing Iran Threat

The United States military is deploying an advanced anti-ballistic missile defense system in the Middle East, the Department of Defense (DOD) has said, as the U.S. attempts to stave off further escalation in the region between Israel and Hamas amid fears of further Iranian involvement.

The U.S. has triggered the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, as well as other military resources, to an undisclosed location around the eastern Mediterranean, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday.

The U.S. has sent "additional Patriot battalions to locations throughout the region to increase force protection for U.S. forces," Austin said in a statement. A second U.S. carrier strike group, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, has been sent to join the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group already deployed to the eastern Mediterranean, Austin added, to "further increase our force posture and strengthen our capabilities and ability to respond to a range of contingencies." U.S. troops have already received prepare to deploy orders.

Shortly after Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is backed by Iran and is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., launched its coordinated and deadly attack on Israel on October 7, President Joe Biden pledged to "offer all appropriate means of support" to Israel, which began a campaign of air strikes against Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Washington quickly moved the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group to the region to "deter any actor seeking to escalate the situation or widen this war," the U.S. Central Command said at the time.

The decision to deploy the THAAD battery followed "recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region," Austin said. Tehran has said it was not involved in Hamas' initial attack, but it supports the group and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which has exchanged fire with Israel across Beirut's southern border.

The U.S. has moved to fend off the possibility of a new front opening in the north of Israel, along this border with Lebanon. However, there is still deep concern over Iran's role in supporting both Hamas and Hezbollah against Israel, and threats of escalation from Tehran over Israel's approaching ground offensive in Gaza.

Iranian-backed groups falling under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have also launched several strikes on U.S. forces in the region in recent days.

Made by U.S. defense giant, Lockheed Martin, the THAAD system is designed to fend off short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats, according to the manufacturer. It is thought to have a range of up to around 125 miles, although its radar can detect incoming threats at a much further distance.

The transportable system intercepts missiles in the final stage of flight, using kinetic energy to destroy the incoming threat. It can cover a larger area than the U.S.-made Patriots, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank.

It is made up of four main parts, the think tank said: a launch vehicle, an interceptor, a radar, and a fire control system. "THAAD is the only U.S. system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere," according to Lockheed Martin.

The U.S. military currently has seven THAAD batteries, with an eighth expected to arrive in the hands of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency in 2025. The first THAAD battery has been operational since 2008, and the seventh has been in service since late 2016, Lockheed Martin said.

Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon via email for comment.

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