According to Newsweek, Israel has long relied on the Lockheed Martin developed Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence, known as the THAAD battery, for shielding against ballistic missiles from Iran or allies such as the Yemeni Houthis.

The Pentagon press office told Newsweek “we have nothing to provide”, meaning no comments.

The US military operates seven THAAD batteries. An eighth, getting integrated into the Missile Defense Agency, is capable of tracking hypersonic missiles. The THAAD deployment to Israel is part of a broader challenge where supporting allies in conflict zones means using resources that could affect military readiness and future deployment.

The THAAD systems employed in Guam are part of the Guam Defense mission and are integral to ensuring the protection of Guam and the United States.

During the recent Israel-Iran conflict, the United States used an estimated 15 to 20 percent of its global THAAD missile interceptor stockpile, incurring unprecedented costs exceeding $800 million, Newsweek said, citing the Bulgarian Military News and Military Watch Magazine.

Iran launched a major missile barrage on cities across Israel in response to attacks on its nuclear and military targets, prompting residents to seek shelter amid nationwide.

They included older models such as the Ghadr and Emad, the medium-range Kheibar Shekan and the Fattah-1 hypersonic missile which travels at up to Mach 15 and is hard to intercept.

The US restocked interceptor missiles for the THAAD system it deployed in Israel in 2024, amid concerns of shortage, The Wall Street Journal reported. A single THAAD interceptor costs about $12-15 million, according to estimates by multiple defense and news outlets.

While the battery costs approximately $1.3 billion, the interceptor cost estimation for 2025 is $18 million for production only, increasing to $27 million with RDT&E (research, development, test, and evaluation) included, Sidharth Kaushal, Senior Research Fellow specializing in Sea Power within the Military Sciences division at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) told Newsweek.