THAAD system’s combat record and evolving role in global missile defence highlighted by Lockheed Martin

The system, globally deployed to strategic locations, is used to deter threats and defend citizens and critical infrastructure of the United States and its allies. First designed in the 1990s in response to a gap in air defence identified during the Gulf War, THAAD quickly became an integral element of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defence architecture.

Lockheed Martin explained that since its inception, the system has continually evolved to defeat emerging threats. This includes interoperability improvements with other missile defence capabilities, along with battery-level enhancements such as integrating the PAC-3 MSE, described as the world’s most advanced air defence missile, into the THAAD system.

The company highlighted the first confirmed operational use of THAAD in January 2022, when the United Arab Emirates employed the system to intercept at least two inbound medium-range ballistic missiles. Lockheed Martin said UAE air defenders, who were trained by the company and supported through its global logistics programme, “made history and validated the effectiveness of the system to defend against real-world ballistic missile attacks.”

Lockheed Martin stressed that its reach-back support to globally deployed units helps warfighters maximise the system’s performance in real time. According to the company, when THAAD was recently deployed in combat operations, “Lockheed Martin responded with agility to increased warfighter urgency by developing and deploying new tools to assist the warfighter in maximizing the effectiveness of the deployed system to defeat a novel ballistic missile threat.”

While THAAD was originally designed within specific performance requirements, Lockheed Martin stated that operational use has shown its ability to counter threats beyond its initial design parameters. Data collected through combat engagements, the company noted, provides real-time validation of the system’s interoperability with larger missile defence architectures.

The company also underlined that the future of missile defence represents a “system of systems” challenge, creating new operational complexities. The information gathered from THAAD’s deployments highlights opportunities to invest in and accelerate the development of additional capabilities, further enhancing the system’s effectiveness and interoperability against advanced missile threats.

Lockheed Martin pointed to its history of investing in internal research and development to advance interoperability with other defence systems. The company said that THAAD is well positioned to expand its integration into layered, networked missile defence architectures that support Joint All Domain Operations, providing enhanced protection against both current and future threats.

Source: Lockheed Martin.