Watch: In a first, Israel uses America’s THAAD system to intercept Houthi missile

An advanced US anti-missile system, Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), was reportedly used by Israel to intercept a Houthi ballistic missile launched from Yemen on Friday. This was the first time that Israel has used the anti-missile system since President Joe Biden deployed it to the Jewish state in October.

The visuals shared on social media showed the system launching an interceptor along with an American soldier saying, “Eighteen years I’ve been waiting for this”.

The missile, reportedly targeting Israel, was intercepted by an air defence system, confirmed Israel Defence Forces. However, whether the missile was neutralised by an American THAAD or an Israeli system is yet to be ascertained. An analysis is ongoing to ascertain the success of the system, news agency Reuters reported, while citing sources.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, developed by the US, was designed to intercept short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase. Instead of using explosive warheads, the system relied on kinetic energy to destroy incoming missiles through impact.

A typical THAAD battery includes six truck-mounted launchers, each holding up to eight interceptors, along with a radar and a fire control system. The radar had a detection range of 870 to 3,000 kilometres.

A Houthi missile launch marked the fifth attack on Israel in eight days. The Iran-backed group claimed it targeted Ben Gurion Airport. In response, Israeli warplanes struck Houthi targets in Yemen, including a power plant in Hezyaz and infrastructure at Sanaa International Airport.

(Inputs from Reuters)