THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Missile system

: 17 January 2020

THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Missile

Description

Technical Data

Specifications

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Description

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is a key element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) designed to defend U.S. troops, allied forces, population centers, and critical infrastructure.
THAAD operates in a unique battle space intercepting both endo- and exo-atmospheric short-to-intermediate range ballistic missiles. This ground-based missile defense system is rapidly deployable with high mobility, providing proven capability to Combatant Commanders world-wide. THAAD is an interoperable system with other BMDS elements and can accept cues from Aegis, satellites and other external sensors, as well as work in concert with the Patriot/PAC-3. The THAAD (theatre high-altitude area defence) missile system is an easily transportable defensive weapon system to protect against hostile incoming threats such as tactical and theatre ballistic missiles at ranges of 200 km and at altitudes up to 150 km. In December 2011, THAAD delivered its 24th interceptor, completing the first THAAD Battery (A-4 ADA). Two THAAD batteries have been activated at Fort Bliss, Texas. The first THAAD Battery (A-4 ADA Battery) was activated in May 2008. The second THAAD Battery (A-2 ADA Battery) was activated in October 2009. The Army anticipates activating the third Battery in late 2012. In March 2012, Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] has completed delivery of all hardware and components associated with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system’s first U.S. Army Battery. There are 4 THAAD batteries that will be sold to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Taiwan, this extended production will lower THAAD production costs. Five batteries are on order by Germany, Israel, South Korea and Japan. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress November 2, 2012, of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Qatar for two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Fire Units and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $6.5 billion. On 1 April, 2019, the U.S. Department of Defense has announced that Lockheed Martin Corp. Missiles and Fire Control, Dallas, Texas, is being awarded a $2,457,390,566 modification (P00015) to a previously-awarded contract HQ0147-17-C-0032 for the production of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and associated one-shot devices to support the U.S. government (USG) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case requirements.

Variants

Technical Data

Missile

The THAAD missile is 6.17m in length and is equipped with a single stage solid fuel rocket motor with thrust vectoring. The rocket motor is supplied by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. The launch weight is 900kg. The target object data and the predicted intercept point are downloaded to the missile prior to launch. The updated target and intercept data are also transmitted to the missile in flight.

Design and protection

• Defends against short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles
• Unique endo- and exo-atmospheric intercept capability
• Dedicated to BMD missions – always optimally positioned to counter the prevailing threat
• Interoperable with other Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) systems
• High lethality with proven hit-to-kill
• High firepower and sustainability for resistance to mass attack
• High single-shot kill probability provides cost-effectiveness

Mobility

THAAD launch unit vehicle is a modified Oshkosh Truck Corporation Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck with Load Handling System (HEMTT-LHS). The 12m-long by 3.25m-wide launch vehicle carries eight missile launch containers. While on the launcher, lead-acid batteries provide the primary power. The batteries are recharged with a low-noise generator.

Radar

The THAAD Radar is an X-Band Radar developed and built by Raytheon at its Andover, Massachusetts Integrated Air Defense Facility. It is the world's largest ground/air-transportable X-Band radar. The THAAD Radar and a variant developed as a forward sensor for ICBM missile defense, the "Forward-Based X-Band - Transportable (FBX-T)" radar were assigned a common designator, AN/TPY-2, in late 2006/early 2007. The AN/TPY-2 radar uses a 9.2m² aperture full field of view antenna phased array operating at I and J bands (X-band) and contains 25,344 solid-state microwave transmit and receive modules. The radar has the capability to acquire missile threats at ranges up to 1,000km.

Combat use

Each THAAD system is comprised of five major components: interceptors, launchers, a radar, a fire control unit and THAAD-specific support equipment. THAAD is the only missile defense system with the operational flexibility to intercept in both the endo- and exo-atmospheres to provide versatile capability to the warfighter.

Specifications