The US is moving a Patriot missile defense system from Texas to the Middle East as Washington and Israel prepare for possible renewed strikes on Iran.

The Patriot and THAAD are the marquee air defense systems for the U.S. military and have been used to shoot down thousands of Iranian missiles and drones since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February. THAAD intercepts ballistic missiles at higher altitudes, while Patriot handles shorter-range threats closer to the ground.

The U.S. military forces are reinforcing missile defenses, repositioning troops and replenishing munitions as it prepares options for a possible air campaign against Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Lockheed unveiled new interceptor, the Patriot PAC-3 Edge, which could offer improved performance against ballistic & hypersonic missiles

Patriot is the Army’s mobile ground AMD system for aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and short-range ballistic missiles; it uses a phased-array radar, engagement control station, and launchers firing MIM-104 variants, with current U.S. buys centered on Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 MSE hit-to-kill interceptor.

Ukraine has completed its share of Freyja, the multinational antiballistic shield that Europe and Kyiv are racing to bring together.

Patriot systems are deemed the gold standard of air defense, able to intercept even the most advanced incoming weapons.

Ukraine is facing a shortage of Patriot missiles amid an intensification of Russian ballistic missile attacks. U.S. supplies are not meeting the needs of Ukraine’s air defense forces, and delays in the delivery of interceptors are forcing Kyiv to seek additional ways to defend its airspace.