The Drive: the insufficient number of air defense/missile defense systems in the United States is emphasized by the Middle East crisis
In addition to Washington's many other commitments around the world, a significant portion of the US military's Patriot air defense systems have been or are in the process of being deployed to the Middle East in response to the ongoing standoff between Israel and the Gaza Strip. On the one hand, this demonstrates Washington’s enormous ability to project power around the world, but on the other, it highlights the serious limitations of their existing ground-based air defense/missile defense capabilities, The Drive wrote on October 30.
The publication notes that the US military has long been concerned about adequate protection of troops deployed both in the US and abroad. A Pentagon spokesman said at a briefing that day that 2 full Patriot divisions (battalions) had already been sent to the region, among other additional army forces and assets.
Last week, the US Army deployed a THAAD battery and short-range Avenger systems to the Middle East. Online flight tracking data shows U.S. Air Force cargo planes making sorties, indicating the movement and deployment of forces and the operation of an air bridge to deliver military aid to Israel. The operation comes amid concerns that the conflict may widen.
Two Patriot battalions may not seem like much of a contribution at first glance, but there are only 17 of them in the Army. Each battalion has a headquarters and three to five fire batteries. Each battery can have up to eight trailer-mounted launchers, as well as an AN/MPQ-65 multi-function phased array radar and the necessary fire control, communications, other support equipment and a variety of missiles
- specified in the material.
The publication explained that of the 17 divisions mentioned, 2 are also specialized training units that are not available for deployment. Also, at least 4 Patriot divisions are located in Germany, Japan and South Korea. Other Patriot battalions have also been deployed in the past to various locations in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia.
The only THAAD battery that is part of the Army's air defense/missile defense complex deployed to the Middle East is one of seven such units operating today. Two more are also deployed outside the continental United States - one each in South Korea and on the Western Pacific island of Guam. The US Army hopes to field an eighth THAAD battery by 2025.
In addition, the US Army is not blind to existing problems and their seriousness, especially when it comes to the Patriot and possible complications in Asia. The military wants to solve this problem by increasing the number of divisions, because there really aren't enough Patriots, especially if a crisis breaks out in the Pacific.
Overall, it is not surprising that additional Army air and missile defense capabilities are among the forces the U.S. military has sent to the Middle East to bolster its position amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip. At the same time, it shows how in demand these capabilities are and how quickly they can go beyond existing limits.
In recent years, senior U.S. officials have also emphasized the growing need for Patriots and other surface-to-air missile systems to defend the homeland in the face of growing potential threats, especially from China and Russia. Now there is even talk about the possibility of permanent or semi-permanent deployment of air defense systems within the country, which has not happened outside Washington since the Cold War
- summed up the media.
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