Official announcements from the US Department of Defense or the government of the deploying country

US THAAD in Israel Makes First Combat Intercept of Houthi Hypersonic Missile with Arrow System

Dec 27, 2024, 04:20 PM

For the first time, the US THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system, deployed in Israel, intercepted a Houthi "Palestine-2" hypersonic ballistic missile launched from Yemen towards Israel on Friday morning. This marks THAAD's first successful intercept in combat since its deployment in Israel in October following Iranian strikes in the region. The missile was intercepted in conjunction with Israel's Arrow system, bolstering the country's defense against long-range threats from Iran-backed Houthi rebels. An American soldier was heard saying, "I've been waiting for this for 18 years." The cost per interceptor is estimated at $12-15 million USD.