MDA

Elements

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) element provides the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) with 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.
• 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

• A THAAD Battery consist of four main components:
  Launcher: Truck mounted, highly mobile, able to be stored; interceptors can be fired and rapidly reloaded.
  Interceptor: Eight per launcher.
  Radar: Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance (AN/TPY-2) – Largest air-transportable X-band Radar in the world searches, tracks, and discriminates objects and provides updated tracking data to the interceptor.
  Fire Control: Communication and data-management backbone; links THAAD components together; links THAAD to external Command and Control 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 THAAD program:
  • Continuing to build, test and verify THAAD initial operational capability;
  • Returned to flight test on November 22, 2005 at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico;
  • Completed nine successful intercept tests, including operationally realistic tests in March 2009, June 2010 and October 2011;
  • Continuing element development to incrementally improve missile defense capability.

Procurement

• First two Batteries fielded at Fort Bliss, TX. Total hardware for Battery #1 & #2 include:
  6 Launchers, 2 Fire Control & Communications components, 2 AN/TPY-2 Radars, and 48 Interceptors. Delivery of first production interceptors began in March 2011.
• Batteries 3 and 4 on contract March 2011 with delivery and fielding to start in 2013.

Fielding

• Activated first THAAD Battery in May 2008 and second THAAD Battery in October 2009.
• Conducting soldier training and certification of Battery #2 at Fort Bliss, Texas.
• Continuing planning for transition of operations to the Army.
  

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