Missile Defense Agency

Elements

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) element provides the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) a globally transportable, rapidly deployable capability to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during their final, or terminal, phase of flight.

Overview

• Land-based element capable of shooting down a ballistic missile both inside and just outside the atmosphere (i.e., Endo/Exo-atmospheric capability).
• Highly effective against the asymmetric ballistic missile threats.
• Uses “hit-to-kill” technology whereby kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead.
• The high-altitude intercept mitigates effects of enemy weapons of mass destruction before they reach the ground.

Details

• Four main components:
  Launcher: Truck mounted, highly mobile, able to be stored; Interceptors can be fired and rapidly reloaded
  Interceptor: Eight per launcher
  Radar: Largest air-transportable X-band Radar in the world searches, tracks, discriminates, and updates tracking data to the Interceptor through the Fire Control component.
  Fire Control: Communication and data-management backbone; links THAAD components together; links components to external C2 nodes and to the entire BMDS; plans and executes intercept solutions.

• Rapid deployment; can be air-lifted anywhere in the world within hours. Also sea- and land- transportable.

Development

• State of the art engineering ensures high standards and efficient production and maintenance.
• Comprehensive program of ground tests, quality assurance, and design and development activities support mission success.
• Major events in the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense program:
  
  • Continuing to build, test and verify Terminal High Altitude Area Defense initial operational capability
  • Returned to flight test on November 22, 2005 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
  • Completed six successful intercept tests, including an operationally realistic test in March 2009 which resulted in the successful intercept of a separating target ballistic missile in the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, HI
  • Continuing element development to incrementally improve missile defense capability

Procurement

• First two Batteries in production (awarded December 2006).
• Total hardware quantities for Batteries #1 and #2 includes:
  • 6 Launchers
  • 2 Fire Control & Communications components
  • 2 AN/TPY-2(TM) Radars
  • 50 Interceptors

Fielding

• Activated first THAAD Battery in May 2008.
• Continuing planning for and conducting soldier training and certification at Fort Bliss, Texas.
• Continuing planning for transition of operations to the Army.

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