The Economic Times
Last month, Iran’s defense ministry unveiled Qassem Basir, the country’s latest solid-fueled ballistic missile, which can be a headache for the US and Israel. Qassem Basir boasts a range of at least 1,200 kilometers and is designed to evade advanced missile defense systems like the US-made THAAD and Patriot.
THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) is an advanced anti-ballistic missile defense system developed by the United States. It is designed to intercept and destroy short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase (descent) of flight. In its class — defending against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles at high altitude — THAAD is arguably the best. The US reportedly transferred a second THAAD battery to Israel in May. In October last year, the US sent a THAAD battery to Israel to thwart more attacks by Iran and its allies. THAAD is a critical part of the US military’s layered air defense systems and adds to Israel’s already formidable anti-missile defenses.
