Lockheed Martin has announced it is to produce an eighth THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) battery for the US Government.
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Press Release, Dallas, 21 April 2022: Lockheed Martin has received a contract totalling $74 million to produce the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon System for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The award amount covers the production of an eighth THAAD battery for the US government. It’s expected to be fielded by 2025.
“This award demonstrates the US government’s continued confidence in the THAAD Weapon System and in its unique endo- and exo-atmospheric defence capability,” said Dan Nimblett, Vice President of Upper Tier Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “With 16 of 16 successful flight test intercepts and recent combat success clearly documenting the effectiveness of THAAD, adding an eighth battery will further enhance readiness against existing and evolving ballistic missile threats.”
The first THAAD Battery (Alpha Battery, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade) was activated in May 2008 and the seventh THAAD battery was activated by the US Army in December 2016.
THAAD is a highly effective, combat-proven defence against short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. THAAD is the only US system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere. The system uses Hit-to-Kill technology to destroy a threat with direct impact neutralising lethal payloads before they reach protected assets on the ground. THAAD continues incremental capability improvements within the weapon system to continually improve capability against current and emerging threats.
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