Saudi Arabia completes fourth THAAD battery training in U.S. for missile defense.

Saudi Arabia announced that the fourth THAAD battery of the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces completed its full training cycle at Fort Bliss, the U.S. Army’s primary THAAD qualification center.

Saudi Arabia announced on January 8, 2026, that its fourth THAAD battery completed individual and specialized training at Fort Bliss in the United States. The training covered system operation, battery level coordination, and readiness standards required before activation. No deployment location or operational timeline was disclosed.
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The fourth Saudi THAAD unit completed a full training cycle at Fort Bliss, which serves as the primary center for THAAD qualification, focusing on system operation, battery-level coordination, and readiness for operational employment. (Picture source: Saudi MoD)

Personnel undergo individual instruction before progressing to specialized roles linked to THAAD launchers, radar operations, fire control, and command and communications functions. Battery-level training integrates these roles into coordinated engagement sequences under time constraints consistent with ballistic missile defense scenarios. This process mirrors the training pipeline used for U.S. Army THAAD units and other international operators. Completion of this phase indicates that Saudi crews are qualified to operate the system within a layered air and missile defense environment, whether within the Saudi armed forces or during joint exercises with the U.S. The graduation of a fourth battery also increases the pool of trained Saudi personnel available for rotation, sustainment, and eventual deployment of future fire units.

Saudi Arabia’s THAAD procurement followed a 2017 agreement with the United States valued at about $15 billion, covering seven fire units, associated radars, tactical stations, launchers, and 360 interceptor missiles, alongside training and sustainment support. The first Saudi THAAD battery was activated in July 2025, and additional batteries are planned as trained personnel become available. The graduation of the fourth battery in January 2026, therefore, fits within a sequence of unit generation steps rather than representing final force completion. The THAAD is intended to complement Saudi Arabia’s existing air defense assets by extending engagement altitude and range against ballistic missile threats. The system’s integration into national command structures will also be a key factor in translating trained units into operational capability.

The THAAD itself, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, is a U.S.-developed anti-ballistic missile system designed to intercept short-range, medium-range, and limited intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase, both inside and outside the atmosphere. The interceptor relies on hit-to-kill technology, destroying targets through kinetic energy rather than an explosive warhead. Available information describes an interceptor mass of 900 kg, a length of 6.17 m, speeds up to about 2,800 m per second, and engagement altitudes reaching 150 km, with engagement ranges commonly cited between 150 km and 200 km. A typical battery includes six truck-mounted launchers carrying eight interceptors each, an AN/TPY-2 X-band radar, and a tactical fire control and communications element, with a manpower complement of about 90 personnel. Within the U.S. air defense, these characteristics place the THAAD above lower-tier systems such as the Patriot in a layered missile defense structure.

The THAAD concept emerged in the late 1980s, with the U.S. Army selecting Lockheed as prime contractor in 1992. Early flight tests in the mid-1990s experienced multiple failures before successful intercepts were achieved in 1999. Engineering and manufacturing development began in 2000, followed by a sustained test program that included integrated engagements with other missile defense systems. Initial operational deployment occurred in 2008, and THAAD has since been fielded as a mobile system capable of rapid deployment. The system is produced and integrated by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, with major industrial participation from firms responsible for radar, propulsion, electronics, and vehicle components.

The U.S. Army operates eight THAAD batteries, with long-term deployments in Guam and South Korea and additional batteries committed to missions in the Middle East and Israel. THAAD systems have been used in real-world intercepts, including an operational interception in the United Arab Emirates in January 2022. During June 2025, in combats involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, large numbers of interceptors were expended to counter Iranian ballistic missile attacks, with estimates indicating that THAAD accounted for a significant share of interceptors used.

However, interceptor production and delivery timelines have created gaps between procurement and availability, with some missiles funded earlier in the decade scheduled for delivery only in the second half of the 2020s. High interceptor expenditure during recent conflicts has further reduced available stocks and extended replenishment timelines measured in years rather than months. For Saudi Arabia, building trained crews in parallel with interceptor acquisition and sustainment arrangements is necessary to ensure that batteries can be fielded and maintained over time. The completion of training for a fourth battery represents progress in personnel readiness, while the pace of interceptor deliveries and system integration will continue to shape the operational rollout of Saudi THAAD units.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.