"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," Pat Ryder said.
This action aims to augment Israeli air defense capabilities to defend Israelis from ballistic missile attacks by Iran, Ryder said. The deployment is part of the broader adjustments the US military has made in recent months.
Washington may send about 100 troops to Israel operate the THAAD batteries, according to the THAAD technical specification seen by Sputnik.
Each THAAD battery consists of six launchers mounted on a cargo vehicle, 48 interceptor missiles - eight per launcher, and 95 troops operating it.
In addition, each battery has a mobile surveillance radar and a control radar, as well as a tactical fire control and communication devices.
On October 1, Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles toward Israel in response to the killings of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, and senior IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his government was not seeking a war with Israel but would confront any threat in a resolute manner.
Israel vowed to respond to the attack at a time and in a manner of its choosing. The United States and other allies have urged Israel to respond proportionately amid concerns that Iran's oil and nuclear facilities may be prime targets, which could potentially spark an all-out regional war.