U.S. Department of Defense - Missile Defense Agency

U.S. Department of Defense - Missile Defense Agency

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Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) element provides the Missile Defense System 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 ballistic missiles both inside and just outside the atmosphere.
  • Highly effective against 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

  • Rapidly-deployable by being globally-transportable via air, land and sea.
  • THAAD battery consists of four main components:
    • Launcher: Truck-mounted, highly-mobile, able to be stored; interceptors can be fired and rapidly reloaded.
    • Interceptors: 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: Communications and data-management backbone; links THAAD components together; links THAAD to external Command and Control nodes and to the entire missile defense system; plans and executes intercept solutions.
  • Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) Launcher: THAAD has the capability to integrate MSE launchers into a THAAD Battery per U.S. Army direction. Adding MSE to the THAAD Arsenal increases engagement opportunities and conserves THAAD Interceptors

Development

  • Major events in the THAAD Program:
    • THAAD System Build 4.0 Region Specific was added to the MDS Operational Capability Baseline (OCB) in May 2022. THAAD System Build 4.0 delivers Initial THAAD and MSE Integration to the fleet.
    • THAAD System Build 4.0 Global was added to the MDS OCB in August 2023.
    • THAAD System Build 5.0, which includes mission assurance updates and Configuration 3 hardware, is currently in development with a planned addition to the MDS OCB in July 2026.
  • Completed 17 successful intercepts in 17 attempts since program initiation. The most recent intercept was with a MSE interceptor.

Fielding

  • Eight THAAD Batteries have been procured and seven are currently fielded to the US Army to support the ballistic missile defense of the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends. The eighth THAAD Battery is currently in production.
  • MDA delivered 799 operational Interceptors to the US Army and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Customers as of 1OCT23 and continues to deliver Interceptors to support the fielded USG batteries and our FMS Customers Foreign Military Sales.

Foreign

  • Two THAAD Batteries procured by and delivered to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and are fully operational. The UAE's THAAD Weapon System successfully intercepted ballistic missiles in January 2022. This marked the first operational intercept using the THAAD Weapon System in a combat environment by any nation.
  • The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has signed multiple FMS Cases for delivery of seven THAAD Batteries and supporting equipment.