A new training facility for U.S anti missiles units

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A training facility that houses a new high-tech missile defense system was recently unveiled on Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Soldiers just started training on it within the last couple of weeks. It’s called the “Terminal High Altitude Area Defense” system, or THAAD for short. It gives the Army the ability to counter ballistic missile threats across the globe. The new facility includes classrooms and storage space for all the elements of the system.

The new system allows soldiers to detect their targets earlier. THAAD can go further and higher than any other current system in the Army’s arsenal. Brigadier General Christopher Spillman says the answer is simple as to why they need the artillery system.

The THAAD system is made up of five components: launchers, interceptors, radar, fire control and communication units, and support equipment. Officials say the radar is the “eyes” of the system. It’s strong enough to detect a target within a quarter in the earth’s atmosphere. The launchers can shoot down any short, medium or intermediate range ballistic missiles.

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THAAD is a United States Army anti-ballistic missile system designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate ballistic missiles in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill approach.

The missile carries no warhead but relies on the kinetic energy of the impact to destroy the incoming missile. A kinetic energy hit minimizes the risk of exploding conventional warhead ballistic missiles, and nuclear tipped ballistic missiles won’t explode upon a kinetic energy hit, although chemical or biological warheads may disintegrate or explode and pose a risk of contaminating the environment. THAAD was designed to hit Scuds and similar weapons, but has a limited capability against ICBMs (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles).

Soldiers are not able to fire the missiles just yet, only once they are deployed on assignment. There are currently about 200 soldiers going through the training. The training programs for the THAAD system ranges from three to ten weeks.

There is already one battery deployed to Guam using the THAAD system. The special part about the new center is that every soldier who will use the system on assignment will be trained through Fort Sill. Brigadier General Spillman says he has high expectations for the soldiers as this innovative system brings so much to the table. The $30 million facility took about two years to complete.