The Pentagon says it has dispatched additional THAAD and Patriot batteries to the region
The US has significantly ramped up its military footprint in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, sending additional air defense systems to the region, the Pentagon has announced.
In a statement on Saturday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had “activated the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as well as additional Patriot battalions” in several undisclosed locations in the Middle East to increase the protection of US forces.
THAAD systems have an operational range of about 200km and are designed to intercept various types of missiles. Patriots, which have recently seen action in Ukraine, have a range of up to 160km and can shoot down missiles, drones, and warplanes.
According to Austin, the decision was made after “detailed discussions” with US President Joe Biden “on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East,” with the overall effort meant to support Israel. The minister added that he had also ordered an unspecified amount of US forces to be ready to deploy “as part of prudent contingency planning.”.....more below
https://www.rt.com/news/585523-us-air-defense-israel-hamas/