United States support for the protection of Israel continues to strengthen. Following the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group, a second was sent with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a total of around twenty warships deployed in the eastern Mediterranean. After “discussions with President Biden”, the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, announced a new reinforcement.
“Additional” military units are in “pre-deployment” status to respond to threats “as quickly as necessary,” the Pentagon announced. In addition to this device, anti-missile systems have been deployed. First Patriots, then a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery. This reinforcement was deployed “to increase the protection of US forces,” Lloyd Austin explained in a press release.
billion dollars
Washington fears that “Iranian proxies will intensify their attacks against [son] Own personal [militaire] AND [ses] nationals,” declared Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 2,000 soldiers could be mobilized in the region, but the most threatened are the two aircraft carriers, which remain the most important elements to protect.
This will be the mission of the THAAD anti-missile shield, one of the most advanced systems in the world and one of the most expensive. A battery would cost about a billion dollars. Each consists of six trucks equipped with eight missile launch tubes, two mobile tactical operations centers and an AN/TPY-2 ground radar.
Hypersonic missiles
It was designed by Lockheed Martin to shoot down short- and medium-range ballistic missiles up to an altitude of 150 km at a radius of 200 km. The threat is shot down in the terminal phase of flight, either in an extra-atmospheric zone or upon entering the atmosphere. Interceptor missiles use kinetic energy to destroy the target without detonating it, but rather by impacting it. This method prevents the scattering of debris that could destroy or damage the target.
According to experts, this shield could even destroy hypersonic missiles whose speed decreases before reaching their target and can no longer change their trajectory. These machines are the main threat to aircraft carriers.
The US force based in the Middle East will target “those who seek to expand the conflict. We retain our right to defend ourselves and will not hesitate to act accordingly,” the Defense Secretary warned. The United States ordered the evacuation of non-essential personnel from the Baghdad embassy and consulate in Erbil “due to increasing threats to the security of United States interests,” the State Department announced.
Source: BFM TV
