04 March 2019•Update: 05 March 2019
By Umar Farooq
WASHINGTON
The U.S. for the first time moved a missile defense system to Israel as a part of a joint-defense exercise between Washington and Tel Aviv, according to a statement Monday by U.S. European Command (EUCOM).
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system was delivered to Israel in early March at the behest of Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan.
The deployment is a part of a month-long joint exercise between the two countries, which includes not just equipment but also U.S. personnel, who will be working on operational procedures for Israel's air defense technology all throughout the country.
"THAAD is the most advanced integrated air and missile defense system in the world, and this deployment readiness exercise demonstrates that U.S. forces are agile, and can respond quickly and unpredictably to any threat, anywhere, at any time," the statement said.
EUCOM said the deployment is a part of the country's "continued commitment to Israel's regional security."
The THAAD system was developed by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, and is meant for intercepting short and medium-range ballistic missiles. The system is also compatible with Israel’s early-warning radars.
The Israeli Defense Forces said Monday on Twitter that EUCOM was conducting an exercise of the THAAD missile system in Israel, as a "part of US efforts to implement its operational concept & mission to assist in Israel’s aerial defense."
The defense system deployment comes after another joint-military exercise last month between Washington and Tel Aviv called Juniper Falcon, which tested strategic coordination and cooperation between the two countries in case of a missile launch against Israel.
