U.S. Expends 20% of Global THAAD Stockpile in Defense of Israel During 12-Day War with Iran
by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – In a high-cost display of strategic commitment, the United States deployed an estimated 15 to 20 percent of its global Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile inventory during a 12-day war between Israel and Iran earlier this month. The operation, aimed at intercepting waves of Iranian ballistic and hypersonic missiles, reportedly cost the U.S. military between $810 million and $1.2 billion in interceptor missiles alone.
Between 60 and 80 THAAD interceptors were launched between June 13 and 24, according to Military Watch Magazine. Each interceptor is estimated to cost between $12 million and $15 million, depending on production and research costs. Some estimates put the full cost per missile as high as $27 million when factoring in RDT&E (research, development, test, and evaluation), according to military analysts cited in Newsweek.
The conflict began after Israeli forces launched preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites. In retaliation, Iran fired hundreds of missiles at Israeli cities and strategic infrastructure. These included older missile variants like the Ghadr and Emad, as well as the more advanced Kheibar Shekan and the hypersonic Fattah-1, which can reach speeds of up to Mach 15. The barrage triggered a massive defensive response involving Israeli and American missile defense systems.
While Israel relied on its multi-layered defense—including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems—the American military bolstered its ally’s shield with the THAAD system and Patriot missiles. U.S. Navy destroyers in the region also participated in the defense against incoming projectiles.
The Pentagon had pre-positioned a THAAD battery in Israel as early as 2024. That system was restocked earlier this year amid concerns about a potential shortfall in interceptor supplies, according to The Wall Street Journal. The U.S. military currently operates seven active THAAD batteries, with an eighth expected to be operational by year’s end. The system’s high cost and limited global supply have fueled debate about the sustainability of using such weapons in large-scale missile defense.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth referred to initial assessments of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program as “low confidence,” though Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine noted that all precision munitions “went exactly where they were intended to go.” At a NATO summit during the ceasefire announcement, President Donald Trump called the strikes an “obliteration,” adding that Iran’s nuclear program had been set back “many years.”
Despite the high-tech nature of the THAAD system, it did not deliver flawless results. Reports emerged that the U.S.-deployed system failed to intercept Houthi-launched missiles on at least two occasions in May. In one instance, Israel’s Arrow system took over; in another, a missile struck near Ben Gurion International Airport.
The cost-benefit calculus of using advanced interceptors like THAAD continues to generate concern among defense analysts. “Neither the U.S. nor the Israelis can continue to sit and intercept missiles all day,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “The Israelis and their friends need to move with all deliberate haste to do whatever needs to be done, because we cannot afford to sit and play catch.”
Trump announced a “complete and total ceasefire” on June 24, marking the official end of hostilities. While the immediate threat appears to have subsided, questions remain over the long-term strategic costs of such high-expenditure missile defense and the implications for future U.S. military readiness.
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