(CLO) The US military has quickly transferred the advanced THAAD anti-missile system to Israel and the system has now been put into use.
Speaking to reporters before arriving in Ukraine on October 21, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: "THAAD is deployed. We can get it operational very quickly and we are making progress as expected."
The US military's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Photo: US Army
THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, is a key part of the US military's layered air defense system and will add to Israel's already robust missile defense system.
President Joe Biden said the THAAD deployment, along with about 100 US troops, was intended to help defend Israel, which is considering retaliation against Iran after Tehran fired more than 180 missiles at Israel on October 1.
A THAAD system typically consists of 95 troops, six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptor missiles (eight per launcher), a radar system, and a fire control and communications unit, according to an April report by the Congressional Research Service. Each of these systems costs more than $1 billion.
Responding to questions from reporters, Mr. Biden said he had a clear understanding of when and how Israel would attack Iran. But he also said he saw an opportunity to end the back-and-forth attacks.
Meanwhile, Mr. Austin said: "It's hard to say exactly what the (Israeli) attack will be like. Ultimately, it's Israel's decision. Whether Israel sees it as proportionate and how Iran sees it are two different things."
“We will do and continue to do everything we can to ease tensions, and hopefully both sides will begin to cool down,” he added.
Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/he-thong-chong-ten-lua-thaad-cua-my-da-toi-israel-suc-nong-o-trung-dong-dang-gia-tang-post317765.html
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