A US Air Force Galaxy cargo plane has landed at an Israel Air Force base, delivering THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) air defense batteries, Israeli and Arab media reported Sunday evening. The latest deployment of the system, likely coordinated with Israel’s security forces, comes amid rising tensions along Israel's borders and the possibility of a large-scale conflict, including ballistic missile attacks on Israel.
THAAD is designed to intercept short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final flight stages. Unlike Israel's Arrow system, which relies on a warhead to detonate near the incoming missile to destroy it, THAAD uses "Hit to Kill" technology. This means interception occurs through direct impact, without the use of a warhead. The collision happens at extremely high speeds, generating immense kinetic energy that completely destroys the missile's warhead. The system features a powerful radar, the AN/TPY-2, operating on X-band technology, capable of detecting missile launches at early stages.
Data from the radar is sent to a control center, where experts analyze the threat, its trajectory, and the optimal interception point in real time. If the threat is confirmed, THAAD interceptors are launched toward the target. These missiles, powered by solid fuel, travel at speeds exceeding Mach 8 and are guided by advanced technology towards the incoming missile’s warhead. Upon impact, the collision is so intense that it destroys the missile entirely, sometimes at altitudes above the atmosphere. (Read More)
