Iranian missiles hit THAAD radar: New satellite pictures suggest that Iranian missiles hit an important American radar system in Jordan during the first days of the conflict. The radar belonged to RTX Corp. and was part of the US THAAD missile defense system. Reports say the radar and some nearby equipment were struck at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
This radar is very important because it helps detect and track enemy missiles. It is used to protect US partners in West Asia from possible ballistic missile attacks. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the radar alone costs about $300 million. That means Iran may have destroyed a very expensive and important military asset.
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There are also reports that other similar radar units may have been damaged in Iranian strikes at different locations. These places include Al Ruwais and Al Sader in the UAE. Another radar site near Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia may also have been affected during the attacks.
What the THAAD System Does?
The US has only eight THAAD systems placed around the world. Some of them are located in South Korea and Guam. Each THAAD battery costs close to $1 billion in total. These systems are designed to stop dangerous missiles before they reach their targets.
The name THAAD stands for “Terminal High Altitude Area Defence”. The name explains how the system works. It intercepts enemy ballistic missiles in the last part of their flight, which is called the terminal phase.
A single THAAD battery needs around 90 soldiers to run it. It includes six truck launchers that carry interceptor missiles. Each launcher can hold eight interceptors, so a full battery usually has forty eight of them. There is also one TPY-2 radar and a special communication and fire control system that helps guide the interceptors.
Each interceptor missile is made by Lockheed Martin Corp. One interceptor costs around $13 million. The launchers can fire these missiles quickly, but reloading them takes around 30 minutes.
How THAAD Destroys Incoming Missiles?
The THAAD system has four main parts. These are the interceptor missile, the launch vehicle, the radar, and the fire control system that guides everything.
One interesting thing about THAAD is that its missiles do not carry explosive warheads. Instead they destroy enemy missiles by crashing into them at extremely high speed. The energy from the impact alone is enough to break the incoming missile apart.
The radar used in the system is very powerful. It can detect and track incoming missiles from distances between 870 km and 3,000 km. Because of this long range the radar plays a key role in early warning and defense.
The system can stop several kinds of ballistic missiles. This includes short range, medium range, and intermediate range missiles. It can even intercept targets both inside Earth’s atmosphere and outside it.
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Because of the damage to these systems the conflict is becoming more expensive for the United States. Losing equipment that costs hundreds of millions of dollars adds pressure on Washington as the war continues.
New Anti-Drone System Being Deployed
At the same time the US is working to improve its defense against drones in the Middle East. Officials worry that Iran could respond with more drone attacks across the region after American and Israeli strikes.
Some Persian Gulf countries have already complained that they were not given enough warning before Iranian missiles and drones started hitting their territory. The sudden attacks made it harder for them to prepare their defenses.
To deal with this problem the US is sending a new system called Merops. This technology uses drones to hunt down other drones. It is small enough to fit inside the back of a midsize pickup truck.
The Merops system can spot enemy drones and move toward them. It uses artificial intelligence to guide itself. This helps it continue operating even when satellite signals or electronic communication are blocked or jammed.
