Upper-Tier BMD
THAAD
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
Upper-tier ballistic-missile-defense system
System Status
Active
Updated 2026-03-14
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 Interceptors
THAAD hit-to-kill interceptor
Mobility Mobile and rapidly deployable
Operators Verified
U.S. (7 batteries), UAE (2), Saudi Arabia (1) — 10 active batteries total Procurement & Transfer Activity
2024-10-13
U.S. deployed a THAAD battery to Israel
Verified 2025-05-11
Lockheed and Saudi industry announced THAAD launcher-localization milestone
Verified 2025-06-18
Lockheed delivered minimum engagement package of the eighth U.S. THAAD battery
Verified 2026-01-29
Lockheed announced framework agreement to quadruple THAAD interceptor production
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Unavailable Official sources do not publish this figure