United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that Washington will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and additional Patriot air defense missile system battalions to the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war, Ednews reports citing Teletrader.
"Following detailed discussions with President Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region, today I directed a series of additional steps to further strengthen the Department of Defense posture in the region," Austin said in a statement. "These steps will bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for US forces in the region, and assist in the defense of Israel," he added.
The Pentagon chief also noted the US will deploy the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to the Central Command area of responsibility and place "an additional number of forces on prepare to deploy orders as part of prudent contingency planning."
