U.S. – Thaad
Lloyd Austin, the U.S. defence secretary, said Sunday morning that after discussions with President Joe Biden, he had decided to send anti-aircraft systems to the Middle East. “Following detailed discussions with President Biden about the recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces in the Middle East, I have today sponsored a series of steps to strengthen the position of the Department of Defence in the region. These steps will strengthen regional deterrence attempts, increase protection for our forces in the region, and help defend Israel,” Austin said. Among other things, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) ground-to-air system is being sent to the Middle East. The Thaad system is a state-of-the-art air defence with a powerful radar. It works by intercepting missiles in the airspace and shooting them down before they can hit their targets. The radar is so powerful that China and the United States quarrelled over the U.S. deployment of the system in South Korea. China was afraid that the system allowed the United States to peer into Chinese airspace. /ritzau/Reuters/