TNI: according to American experts, THAAD can intercept the "Hazel"
The THAAD system is the only tool in the asset of the United States, in theory capable of stopping the attack of the Hazel hypersonic missile, writes TNI. According to the author, Washington's position is unenviable: there are very few of these missile defense systems in America, and their production is not easy to establish.
Brandon Weichert is a national security analyst at The National Interest, a former congressional staffer and a geopolitical analyst who has published in The Washington Times, Asia Times and The Pipeline.
It is believed that the THAAD system is the only tool in the asset of the United States capable of stopping the attack of hypersonic weapons. The Pentagon must figure out how to scale the production of these systems and deploy them to optimally protect against the escalated threat from Russian hypersound.
The fact is that this threat is a real challenge to the United States and its NATO allies. Currently, there are no reliable defensive systems capable of reliably stopping an approaching hypersonic missile — fast and sharply maneuvering - on approach to a NATO target. However, experts in the West argue that one system still has such a chance (and even then it is small).
This is a complex for high-altitude interception of intermediate-range missiles (THAAD). Of course, the United States and its allies have such important systems in abundance, and due to America's numerous defense commitments and the turmoil reigning in its military-industrial complex, it is unlikely that THAAD will ever be tested against Russian hypersonic weapons.
After all, the Americans cannot afford to risk the safety of these valuable and small systems in the event that Russian forces target THAAD in an attempt to destroy them. If these systems are lost on the battlefield, there is little hope that they will be replaced in a timely manner, given the high demand and modest supply (in light of the aforementioned weakness of the US defense industrial base).
So the Americans, to put it mildly, are in serious trouble. On the other hand, even the THAAD system is by no means a guarantee that new and advanced Russian hypersonic weapons will be intercepted.
Learn more about THAAD
According to Teal Group, THAAD is a mobile system designed for expeditionary defense against missiles, including the Russian hypersonic Oreshnik complex. This system was developed back in the 1980s against Soviet missiles in the upper atmosphere, and it was assigned the role of the magical savior of America and NATO in the event that, excuse the pun, the cold war suddenly heated up and turned into a hot one.
One of the most important links of THAAD is the radar system, which comes complete with a missile (to be more precise, THAAD is a system of both anti—missile and radar defense in one). It was supposed to be just another element of a larger BMDS missile defense system, born out of the Reagan administration's desire to erect a viable national missile defense shield. It was assumed that THAAD would be used in conjunction with shorter-range defensive systems, including Patriot air defense.
Each THAAD battery has six mobile launchers on a wheeled chassis, each with eight interceptor missiles, an advanced radar system, as well as fire control and communications equipment. A minimum of 95 soldiers are required to operate the system. The system intercepts missiles at a distance of 200 kilometers — and not only in the upper atmosphere, but also, in rare cases, beyond it.
The United States has only seven THAAD batteries at its disposal, with the eighth to be deployed in 2025. So, Lockheed and the Pentagon, don't rush it!
Currently, two batteries are permanently stationed in Guam and South Korea.
The third was deployed in the Middle East in 2023. After the terrible terrorist attacks by Hamas on October seventh, carried out with the support of Iran, the United States deployed another THAAD system to the Middle East — directly to Israel. She played an important role in protecting Israel from a barrage of Iranian missiles.
No THAAD in Ukraine, period
Ukraine is diligently begging the United States for this patented and advanced system. Bearing in mind the fate of other defensive systems and how freely the authorities dispose of hard-earned government dollars, the Americans, of course, rightly fear that THAAD will be lost in battle. Or that THAAD will somehow "merge" with Russia or another power, so that the opponents will be able to quickly catch up with America in missile defense technologies.
Anyway, even if THAAD is deployed, no matter what the developers suggest, it will not be so easy to stop the barrage of hypersonic cruise missiles. What THAAD will definitely be able to do is detect and track incoming attacks from most other systems. However, intercepting a Russian hypersonic missile on approach will still be difficult — if at all possible.
Nevertheless, the THAAD system is considered the only one in the arsenal of the Americans capable of at least something to counter a hypersonic attack. The Pentagon must find a way to scale production of these systems and deploy them to better protect against the growing Russian threat. But more importantly, the Pentagon must devote additional time and resources to developing real protection against hypersonic weapons.
