[UPDATE: OCTOBER 15, 2024]
“Yesterday, October 14, an advance team of U.S. military personnel and initial components necessary to operate the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery arrived in Israel.
Over the coming days, additional U.S. military personnel and THAAD battery components will continue to arrive in Israel. The battery will be fully operational capable in the near future, but for operations security reasons we will not discuss timelines.
The deployment of the THAAD battery to Israel underscores the United States’ commitment to the defense of Israel and to defend Americans in Israel from any ballistic missile attacks by Iran.”
OCTOBER 14, 2024 – At the direction of the President, Secretary Austin authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1.
The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system. This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran.
It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias.
This is not the first time the United States has deployed a THAAD battery to the region. The President directed the military to deploy a THAAD battery to the Middle East last year following the October 7th attacks to defend American troops and interests in the region.
The United States previously deployed a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training and an integrated air defense exercise.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Oct. 13 to express his condolences for the IDF soldiers killed in a drone attack from Lebanese Hizballah today.
Secretary Austin reaffirmed the deep U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, demonstrated today by the announcement of the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery to Israel in the coming days.
The Secretary also reinforced the importance of Israel taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL forces and Lebanese Armed Forces, and the need to pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway to provide security for civilians on both sides of the border as soon as feasible.
Secretary Austin again raised concern for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed that steps must be taken soon to address it.