Upper-Tier BMD
THAAD
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
Upper-tier ballistic-missile-defense system
System Status
Active
Updated 2026-07-29
Key Specifications
Range Unavailable
Not published in official sources reviewed (emphasis on threat class, not horizontal range) Altitude Verified
Endo/exoatmospheric intercept capability Radar Verified
AN/TPY-2 radar; the eighth U.S. battery minimum engagement package was to be paired with one Interceptors
THAAD hit-to-kill interceptor
Mobility Mobile and rapidly deployable
Operators Verified
Lockheed’s current product page lists 10 active batteries: U.S. 7, UAE 2, Saudi Arabia 1 Procurement & Transfer Activity
2025-06-18
Lockheed delivered the minimum engagement package of the eighth U.S. THAAD battery: three launchers and a fire-control unit; remaining equipment was scheduled for later in summer 2025
Verified 2026-01-29
Lockheed and the U.S. Department of War announced a framework to raise THAAD interceptor production capacity from 96 to 400 per year; no delivery tranche or award date was stated
Verified Strengths
- + True upper-tier ballistic-missile-defense role
- + Small but very clear operator set and mission profile
- + Deep integration with wider U.S. missile-defense architecture
Limitations
- - Narrower threat set than multi-mission lower-tier systems
- - Very expensive, smaller global user base
- - Not the right tool for cheap low-altitude mass targets like RAM or many UAS threats
Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin (Missile Defense Agency program)
United States
Sources
Evidence Labels
Verified Official manufacturer or government source
Reported Credible third-party or think-tank reporting
Unavailable Official sources do not publish this figure