US sends 100 troops and advanced anti-missile defense system to defend Israel

(Originally published Oct. 15 in “What in the World“) Israel expanded its attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants to northern Lebanon Monday, with one airstrike in a largely Christian town killing 21 people.

Israeli strikes over the weekend in northern Gaza, where its forces are intensifying attacks on Hamas positions in a Palestinian refugee camp, killed at least 20 people. Israel’s retaliatory attacks against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon have sparked fresh threats of vengeance from Tehran.

So, the U.S. is sending an advanced anti-missile system to Israel, as well as 100 troops to operate it. U.S. President Joe Biden directed the Pentagon to send in a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or Thaad, to help defend Israel against missiles from Hezbollah militias in Lebanon, other Iran-backed proxies such as the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and of course from their patron, Iran.

The $800 million Thaad is a step up from the older U.S. Patriot anti-missile system. First implemented in 2008, Thaad targets ballistic missiles from a distance of as far as 200km away, using a “hit-to-kill” system to destroy inbound ballistic missiles as they descend towards their target, striking them with sufficient force to destroy them without exploding.

The Thaad battery is technically mobile, but has a lot more complicated, moving parts than a Patriot battery: each command unit consists of four separate units, including two tactical operating stations, a launch control station, and a station support group. Three separate trailers provide power, refrigeration, and computing to the trailer-mounted radar unit. Then there are six launcher trucks, each carrying eight missiles.

The Thaad therefore requires a lot of personnel trained to use it. That’s why the Thaad headed for Israel has to come with 100 American troops. Thaads are already deployed in Romania, South Korea (to China’s chagrin), the U.A.E., and of course the U.S.

A Thaad has also been deployed in Israel, somewhere in the Negev desert, since 2019. Along with Patriot batteries, Israel’s own Iron Dome, Arrow and David’s Sling systems, and elements of the U.S. Navy, it has already been helping Israel knock down missiles. But earlier this year, Israel announced plans to retire its 40-year-old Patriots, which it acquired during the 1991 Gulf War to defend against Scud missiles launched by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

Ukraine is still using Patriots, however, as it weathers a new surge in Russian missile attacks against its grain exports. The missiles have been targeting the port city of Odessa and other shipping infrastructure on the Black Sea coast, as well as ships from small countries.

The bigger threat, however, may be from smaller drones. Hezbollah launched a drone strike Sunday in northern Israel that killed four Israeli soldiers. And U.S. bases near Norfolk, Virginia, are reporting regular incursions by unidentified drones they fear might be deployed by China or Russia, but which there aren’t allowed to shoot down over domestic turf unless they pose a direct and imminent danger.

China sent a record number of warplanes into the air around Taiwan as part of a massive, one-day military exercise meant to register its displeasure over a speech last week by Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te.

In his National Day speech, Lai said Beijing had no right to represent Taiwan and that only Taiwan could determine its future. To Beijing, his statements smacked of advocating independence for what it views as a renegade province.

So in response, Beijing launched Joint Sword 2024B, the sequel to the 3-day exercises it held when Lai was inaugurated in May. Both simulated a blockade of Taiwan.