US troops arrive In Israel to help operate missile defense system

The first team of U.S. military personnel arrived in Israel on Monday to help with the installment and operation of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, which aims to boost Israeli air defenses amid threats from Iran.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a Tuesday statement that more U.S. service members would arrive in the coming days along with additional THAAD battery components.

“The battery will be fully operational capable in the near future, but for operations security reasons we will not discuss timelines,” he said. “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.”

The Pentagon first announced it was sending a THAAD on Sunday, along with about 100 U.S. troops to operate the advanced air defense system capable of taking out short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

The U.S. also sent a THAAD system in 2019 for training purposes and after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, which killed nearly 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostages.

The arrival of an additional THAAD will bolster Israeli security as tensions continue to flare across the Middle East as Israel carries out a destructive campaign against Hamas in Gaza, where more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in more than a year of war. Israel is also fighting against the Iranian-back Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

But the greatest threat comes from Iran, which fired some 180 ballistic missiles at Israel earlier this month, most of which were taken out by air defense systems. Israel is weighing a response to that attack that could also trigger another Iranian missile strike.

The THAAD system will offer Israel an additional layer of defense, but it also puts American troops at greater risk.