“If reports that a second THAAD missile battery is being deployed to Israel are true, this would put almost a third of U.S. THAAD systems in the small country,” Jennifer Kavanagh, Senior Fellow and Director of Military Analysis at Defense Priorities, told RS. “This incredible commitment of scarce resources is out of proportion with the limited U.S. interests in the Middle East and the Trump administration’s stated intent to focus on security threats in Asia.”
This follows numerous other weapons sent to Israel in the last few weeks, which Kavanagh said includes B-2 bombers, fighter jets and warships, a Navy carrier strike group, and Patriot air defense systems. Meanwhile, Israel already has other anti-missile systems on hand, including missile-based projectile interception system Iron Dome and David’s Sling, which can take out short-range targets.
With THAAD, “the Trump team might be setting the foundation for further escalation in the region, including strikes on Iran. In advance of such a move, U.S. defense leaders might put air defense and other assets in place to guard Israel from any Iranian blow back,” Kavanagh explained.
“Regardless of the intent, the deployment of second THAAD sucks the United States more deeply into a region it has been trying to get out of and risks pulling it more directly into Israel’s ongoing wars with its neighbors, not least because a THAAD in Israel will mean more U.S. operators on the ground in that country as well,” she added.
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