Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has been urged to deploy advanced
ballistic missile defense systems ahead of any air campaign against Syria.

The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance asserted that the U.S. military
would require advanced BMD systems to protect against Syrian missile
strikes.

The alliance, a lobby for BMD programs, cited the need to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD).

“It should be deployed today around Syria to do what it was designed to do — protect and defend a large regional area by tracking and defeating short and medium range incoming ballistic missiles,” alliance chairman Riki Ellison said.

The U.S. military has already deployed such assets as the PAC-2, GEM+ and PAC-3 in such Syrian neighbors as Israel, Jordan and Turkey. But Ellison said THAAD was needed to stop any Syrian chemical weapon strikes delivered by Scud C and D missiles.

“With the known use of chemical ballistic missiles by Syria, the high risk of not being able to eliminate all of them in a pre-emptive offensive
strike and the possibility of a Syrian counterattack targeting nearby United
States troops, allied forces, and major city populations with Scud chemical
missiles in retaliation, it would be irresponsible not to deploy a United
States THAAD battery for the protection of American and allied lives prior
to the launching of an offensive strike,” Ellison said.

The U.S. military has two operational THAAD batteries. One battery,
Alpha-4, has been deployed in Guam to defend against a North Korean missile
strike. Alpha-2 remains at its base in Fort Bliss, Texas. Each battery
contains six launchers, with 16 interceptors on each launcher.

“In due diligence and protection of our American troops, the United
States needs to deploy the Alpha-2 THAAD battery to Turkey, Israel or Jordan
before a collective decision is made to pre-emptive strike Syria,” Ellison
said.

  Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, U.S. urged to deploy missile defense systems to protect forces from Syrian strikes