The US is moving its Patriot missile defense batteries from the Indo-Pacific theatre to the Middle East as a massive and unprecedented military mobilization is underway in the region.
Citing sources, the South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported that last month, South Korea and the United States agreed to a “months-long” deployment of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 from South Korea to the Middle East.
This will be the first known instance of equipment belonging to the United States Forces Korea (USFK) being relocated to the Middle East.
This news follows a previous report from NBC that stated that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the relocation of at least two Patriot missile defense batteries and a THAAD missile defense system from Asia to the Middle East. At the time, the report did not specify which batteries were being pulled out for relocation.
EurAsian Times could not independently confirm the claims made by either report, as neither the USFK nor the US CENTCOM issued an official statement regarding this at the time of writing this report.
Notably, the relocation of these critical air defense systems from South Korea at this juncture is intriguing as it comes at a time when there is an enhanced security threat from North Korea, as repeatedly acknowledged by Seoul and Washington. The Patriot missiles are part of a multilayered missile defense system that South Korea uses to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
Nonetheless, the development comes as a massive military mobilization is currently underway in the Middle East.
Last month, for instance, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed the Nimitz-class USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to deploy from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East. The deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman in the theatre has also been extended.
Additionally, the United States has accumulated several refueling tankers, transport aircraft, and at least six B-2 stealth strategic bombers at an air base in the British colony of Diego Garcia.
Referred to as the “ghosts of the sky,” these bombers can penetrate even the most sophisticated air defenses and deliver lethal, precise hits.
While the mobilization was previously believed to be a preparation to amp up attacks against the Yemen-based Houthi militias, it now appears to be aimed at its backer, Iran.
On March 30, Trump gave Iran a two-month deadline to make a deal with Washington over its nuclear program. Speaking to NBC News’s Kristen Welker during a phone interview, he warned: “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
The Islamic Republic has rejected direct negotiations proposed by the US, citing the ‘maximum pressure’ strategy and persisting military threats. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian admitted that indirect negotiations between the two countries are possible to find a solution.
According to sources cited by Iranian media, Trump has allegedly urged Tehran to make concessions such as putting an end to Iran’s growing drone and missile development, severing relations with resistance groups located throughout the region, and completely dismantling its nuclear program.
The Iranian administration has flagged these demands as excessive, as the EurAsian Times previously explained in detail.
Iran has also taken a firm stand against Donald Trump’s bombing threats. The country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised to retaliate if the US bombed the Islamic Republic.
Reports in the local media indicated that the Iranian armed forces have placed their missiles in ready-to-launch mode within underground facilities across the country. “Iran has achieved a level of active deterrence in which any violation of its sovereignty will be met with a severe response,” said the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces.
There is also conjecture that Iran and its allies would attack the US bomber fleet positioned at Diego Garcia, as Iran has refused to back down in the face of threats. An unidentified Iranian official told the British Telegraph: “There will be no distinction in targeting British or American forces if Iran is attacked from any base in the region or within the range of Iranian missiles.”
Last year, on 13 April, Iran launched a massive aerial strike against Israel in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1. Thus, the prospect of Iran’s attack on US forces may not be off the table.
Currently, it is hard to predict if the US military would indeed launch a massive attack on Iran and risk a war or if it is just doing brinkmanship and sending a message to Tehran. In either scenario, the stakes are high, and expanding air defense cover is imperative. Thus, a potential threat from Iran may have necessitated the relocation of Patriot missile defense.
Patriots Will Defend US Forces In The Middle East
The Patriot is a mobile, ground-based missile defense interceptor that can identify, track, and intercept cruise missiles, short-range or tactical ballistic missiles, fighter jets, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
A typical Patriot Battery comprises an AN/MPQ-65 multifunction phased array radar, necessary fire control, communications, other support components, and up to eight trailer-mounted launchers. The most recent version of the Patriot system can launch the whole line of Patriot missiles, including the PAC-3 interceptors.
The system shot to fame in Ukraine, where it reportedly shot down Russian hypersonic missiles, which Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously projected as invincible. Hypersonic missiles are harder to intercept as they travel at least five times the speed of sound and follow an unpredictable trajectory. Additionally, the Patriots were credited with shooting down multiple Su-34 fighter bombers conducting strikes on Ukrainian cities.
The deployment of Patriot could, thus, help defend against the Iranian Fattah-1 hypersonic missiles if the latter were to use them. Moreover, the Patriot is believed to be excellent at intercepting stealthy targets. The Patriot’s flat phased array radar produces a beam that is relatively narrow and extremely agile, allowing the radar to identify low radar cross-section targets like cruise missiles or stealth aircraft, as well as ballistic missiles.
The Patriot has seen action in the Middle East on several occasions. It was deployed in the region during the Gulf War of 1991, where it did not perform as well. One notable failure occurred in 1991 when it failed to intercept an Iraqi Al Hussein Scud missile, resulting in the tragic loss of 28 US soldiers in Saudi Arabia.
However, the conflict in Ukraine has underscored the value of the Patriot defense system and led to a surge in demand for the system.
The upgraded PAC-3 is believed to be a force to reckon with. The PAC-3 primarily focuses on intercepting missiles at altitudes of 40 kilometers and below. The Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) is a high-velocity hit-to-kill, surface-to-air missile that can intercept drones, cruise missiles, air-breathing threats, and tactical ballistic missiles. The PAC-3 has an explosive charge that creates a cloud of metal fragments around the missile’s body called ‘cycloids.’
If the previous NBC News report is anything to go by, the US is also relocating a THAAD battery from Asia to the Middle East. This means the Patriot will be supplemented with an extra layer to defend US troops.
THAAD is an anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their mid-course and terminal phases (descent or re-entry) by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach.
A full THAAD battery comprises six launchers, a fire-control unit, the THAAD system’s AN/TPY-2 radar, and a support unit. The AN/TPY-2 radar system, part of THAAD, can monitor missile launches within a radius of 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers.
THAAD and its radar can accept cues from Aegis, satellites, and other external sensors to extend their coverage area. They work in concert with Patriot/PAC-3 missiles and the Command, Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) system.
Believed to be the most advanced missile defense system in the US arsenal, the THAAD has been protecting Israel against hostile missiles since December 2024. Interestingly, much like the current scenario, it was deployed to the country amid fears of a potential Iranian strike against Israel.
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