UAE’s multi-million-dollar THAAD system successfully intercepts its first ballistic missile attack

Middle East, News January 24, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), developed by Lockheed Martin in 2008 and sold to UAE in 2011 at a staggering deal that cost the oil-rich Arab country around $1.135 billion. UAE became the first foreign customer for THAAD missile defense system and acquired its first interceptor in 2015. After being idle for a long time, UAE’s THAAD system came into action for the first time on January 16, 2021, when it intercepted a missile fired by Houthi militants in Abu Dhabi.

The deadly militant attack on Abu Dhabi was carried out with short-range cruise missiles, drones, and ballistic missiles and resulted in the death of three civilians and wounded six. Commenting on the attacks during a virtual event hosted by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, UAE’s Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba stated, “Several attacks, a combination of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones, targeted civilian sites in the UAE. Several were intercepted, however, a few of them couldn’t be stopped and three innocent civilians unfortunately lost their lives”.

UAE has been a key member of the Saudi-led coalition that entered Yemen to fight the Houthi rebels in 2015. Since then, there has been a looming threat of an Iran-backed Houthi militant’s attack on the UAE. The potential inbound attack compelled the UAE forces to upgrade its missile defense system which led to the purchase of the THAAD system.

THAAD is designed to intercept long, medium, and short-range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase by using a hit-to-kill approach. The concept of intercepting the ballistic missiles first surfaced during the Gulf war in 1991 and later translated into the THAAD missile defense system that served the U.S. military for a long time before the technology was put up for international sale agreements and the UAE became the first foreign costumers of the missile defense system in 2011. THAAD has also been deployed in Guam, Israel, Romania, and South Korea.

Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) — *^{Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System (Image Credit: Lockheed Martin}*

THAAD’s 6.1 meters long interceptor weight at around 900 kg and travels at speeds up to 10,000 km/h. The interceptor does not carry a warhead but instead relies on its kinetic energy generated by high speed and heavy weight to intercept and destroy an incoming missile. The use of kinetic energy to disable an incoming missile allows THAAD to minimize the threat of detonation for the Nuclear Tipped Ballistics missiles.

After the Houthi attack on UAE’s capital earlier this week, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke on phone on Wednesday to assess UAE’s security situation. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the “U.S. attaches a great importance to the unwavering support for the security and defense of UAE territory against all threats.” During the phone call, the Crowned Prince also proposed further weapon deals with the U.S., however, Pentagon has not released the details about the UAE’s requests so far.