U.S. Claims First Missile Shootdown Attempt Using THAAD System: Success Against Yemeni Strike Uncertain

<p >An unnamed U.S. military official has claimed that the U.S. Army has for the first time employed the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in combat to fire on an incoming projectile. Speaking to a local media outlet, the official stated that the incident, which occurred on December 26, saw a THAAD system forward deployed in Israel fire on a ballistic missile launched by Yemeni Ansurullah Coalition forces. The statement followed the release of video footage purporting to show the firing of a surface to air missile from a THAAD system in Israel. It remains uncertain if the shootdown attempt was successful, with the official highlighting that an Israeli high altitude air defence system may have itself been responsible for bringing down the missile. Missile attacks by the Ansurullah Coalition have in the past been filmed evading multiple attempts to intercept them, with the THAAD system’s <a href=" target="_blank">deployment to Israel in October</a> having been partly influenced by the major advances demonstrated by the group’s strike capabilities. The United States and other Western Bloc states have been extensively involved in supporting Israel’s campaign against Ansurullah Coalition forces, and beyond supporting air defence efforts the U.S. Navy has been launching strikes on positions in Yemen since October 2023. </p>