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United States Lockheed Martin
THAAD
A U.S. Army theater ballistic-missile defense system designed to intercept short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles inside and just outside the atmosphere in their terminal phase. It uses a hit-to-kill interceptor with no explosive warhead, destroying targets through kinetic impact alone.
In service since 2008 · 5 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
200
km range
150,000
m altitude
24
targets
1,000
km radar
💲 ≈ $1,000,000,000 — Approximate cost per battery including radar and interceptors
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Established · 5 operators
In service since 2008. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$2.5B – $3.5B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~25 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
THAAD is the United States' dedicated upper-tier terminal defense: a hit-to-kill interceptor designed to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles inside or just above the atmosphere, using nothing but kinetic impact. Its AN/TPY-2 X-band radar is one of the most powerful mobile radars ever fielded, able to track warheads at ranges commonly cited around 1,000 km and to cue other defenses across an entire theater. A battery's six launchers hold 48 ready interceptors, and THAAD's flight-test record — a long unbroken string of successful intercepts — is unmatched among ballistic-missile defenses.
The system's combat debut came in 2022, and the 2026 Iran war made it indispensable: US THAAD batteries in Israel and the Gulf engaged medium-range ballistic missiles alongside Arrow and Patriot in history's most intense missile-defense campaign. Post-ceasefire analyses focused less on hit rates than on magazine depth — interceptor expenditure ran far ahead of production, pushing THAAD stockpiles to the center of Washington's munitions-industrial debate.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 8.24 Mach Stronger than 81% of air-defense systems
- Engagement range
Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.
- 200 km Stronger than 85% of air-defense systems
- Engagement altitude
Maximum target altitude the system can reach.
- 150,000 m Top 4% of air-defense systems
- Simultaneous targets
Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.
- 24 Stronger than 87% of air-defense systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- THAAD hit-to-kill interceptor
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- Hit-to-kill kinetic (no explosive warhead)
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Inertial + infrared seeker homing
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- AN/TPY-2 X-band radar
- Radar range
Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first.
- 1,000 km Top 1% of air-defense systems
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- Link 16, C2BMC
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $1,000,000,000 Stronger than 13% of air-defense systems
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 5 Stronger than 71% of air-defense systems
Specifications compiled from public Lockheed Martin and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
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What is the engagement range of the Lockheed Martin THAAD? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has a maximum engagement range of 200 km.
What is the main armament of the Lockheed Martin THAAD? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD's primary weapon is the THAAD hit-to-kill interceptor.
What is the Lockheed Martin THAAD used for? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the Lockheed Martin THAAD? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD is operated by 5 countries.
How much does the Lockheed Martin THAAD cost? +
The Lockheed Martin THAAD has an approximate unit cost of 1,000,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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