THAAD Systems Gaining Momentum
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עברית (Hebrew)
Lockheed Martin Space Systems has received an $18.9 million modification to an existing contract for the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Terminal High Altitude Area Defense ground component systems (THAAD). As reported by upi.com, the modification will fall under foreign military sales, provide software engineering support for UAE THAAD ground control integration and will raise the cumulative value of the contract from $449 million to $468 million. Work on the project will be be carried out from various locations – California, Texas, the U.A.E and more. The contract is expected to be completed by January 2019.
The THAAD system is designed to intercept incoming enemy ballistic missiles as they begin their terminal descent phase in near-space and the upper atmosphere. It is designed to easily integrate its sensor and targeting data with other ballistic missile defense systems, such as the Patriot PAC-3 ground based missile and the AEGIS Standard Missile-3 naval interceptor. This enables layered defenses at different stages of the ballistic missile’s flight.
The interceptor uses its own kinetic energy to directly impact and destroy the missile in a “hit-to-kill,” rather than the blast-fragmentation proximity warhead used on most surface-to-air missiles. There are currently six THAAD batteries under the purview of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, and the system has been exported to several countries including the U.A.E.
The recent proposed deployment to South Korea in response to North Korean missile tests has created heated debate in South Korea and raised concern in China due to THAADs powerful radars being capable of tracking Chinese missiles.
Interested in more information and analysis regarding air and missile defense? Register to the forthcoming 6th Israeli Air Missile Defense Conference & Exhibition (IAMD). The conference organized by iHLS, Israel Missile Defense Association (IMDA) and the Israel Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics (ISAA) will take place on July 24th, 2017 at the LAGO Conference Center, Rishon LeZion.
Booth/sponsorship: Keren Kalderon kerenk@i-HLS.com +972-52-3653165
