US spent billions on missiles defending Israel, needs more

The United States is investing another $2 billion in Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles after depleting its stockpile during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported more than 150 THAAD interceptors were launched by U.S. forces to protect Israeli airspace from numerous barrages of Iranian ballistic missiles in what analysts describe as one of the most intense uses of American missile defense systems in history.

The Pentagon awarded the contract to Lockheed Martin, adding to an existing production deal that now totals more than $10.4 billion. The replenishment comes as the U.S. military confronts a growing global missile threat and reflects a broader reckoning over whether America’s high-end defense systems are prepared for modern warfare, which is currently characterized by mass volleys of inexpensive, fast-moving projectiles.

THAAD’s role in the 12-day war

THAAD is one of the most advanced interceptors in the U.S. arsenal, capable of shooting down ballistic missiles inside and outside the Earth’s atmosphere using only kinetic energy. Each interceptor costs between $12 million and $13 million. They are designed to take out the largest, most dangerous missile threats in their final stage of flight.

During the June conflict, the U.S. deployed two of its seven THAAD systems to Israel. Operating alongside Israeli systems like Arrow and David’s Sling, American THAAD batteries fired over 150 interceptors, a quarter of all the THAADs the U.S. has ever purchased. At one point, the demand was so high that the Pentagon reportedly considered diverting Saudi Arabia’s purchased THAADs to Israel.

Despite the unprecedented deployment and volume of intercepts, some Iranian missiles still broke through. Israeli officials said U.S. missiles saved thousands of lives, but the onslaught underscored serious vulnerabilities in America’s air defense infrastructure.

Pentagon pushing replenishment

Following the war, the U.S. Department of Defense moved quickly to rebuild its depleted stocks. The $2.06 billion contract modification with Lockheed Martin extends production of THAAD components through at least December 2029, with manufacturing spread across several U.S. cities, including Dallas, Texas; Sunnyvale, California; Troy, Alabama; and Camden, Arkansas.

The rapid drawdown of high-cost munitions during the war is prompting renewed debate within the Pentagon about sustainability. Spending billions and billions for exquisite systems like THAAD interceptors isn’t exactly a viable option in the long term, especially in an age where both state and non-state actors have access to cheap weaponry.

Operational fatigue and readiness concerns

Deploying two THAADs to one country was a first for the United States and revealed cracks in operational readiness. With five of seven THAAD units deployed globally — two in Israel, two in the Pacific, and one in Saudi Arabia — the U.S. risks “dwell” problems, where units don’t receive necessary downtime for rest, maintenance and training.

Under ideal conditions, the Army wants a 3-to-1 deployment ratio: one unit deployed, one in transit or maintenance and one in training. With the current pace of global missile threats, that model is increasingly difficult to maintain.

A wider wake-up call

The Iran-Israel war was a stark reminder that missile defense is not just a technical challenge, but a strategic one. China continues to expand its missile arsenal to keep the U.S. at bay over Taiwan. Russia is bombarding Ukraine with long-range weapons. Even non-state actors like Yemen’s Houthis proved capable of disrupting military operations with missile attacks.

As Tom Karako, the director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, “We are at long last waking up to the need for massive defensive munitions procurement.”

The Department of Defense is now urgently pursuing options to scale up production and deploy cheaper interceptors at greater volumes. But those efforts will take time, which the U.S. may not have if another conflict erupts.

“The other worry,” Karako said, “is that the Iranians are going to do this again. And we can’t afford to do it again.”