 (6).png)
1 hour ago
2
ARTICLE AD BOX
The destruction of RTX Corp. AN/TPY-2 radar and support equipment — used by US THAAD missile defense systems, comes as US air and missile defence networks in the Gulf face sustained pressure from Iranian drone and ballistic missile attacks.
A key US missile defence radar system worth around $300 million has reportedly been destroyed during the ongoing conflict involving Iran and the United States.
Satellite imagery cited by CNN showed that an AN/TPY-2 radar — part of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) network — was destroyed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan during the opening days of the war.
The destruction of the equipment was later confirmed by a US official, Bloomberg stated. Data compiled by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies indicated two reported Iranian strikes in Jordan on February 28 and March 3, both of which were said to have been intercepted, the news outlet said.
Experts warn of significant strategic loss
Defence experts cited by the news outlet say that a successful strike on the radar would represent one of Tehran’s most significant operational achievements in the conflict so far.
“If successful, an Iranian strike on a THAAD radar would mark one of Iran’s most successful attacks so far,” Ryan Brobst was quoted as saying.
However, Brobst noted that the US and its partners still retain other systems in the region.
“The US military and its partners have other radars that can continue to provide air and missile defense coverage, mitigating the loss of any single radar.”
What is the THAAD system?
The THAAD system — short for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense — is designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles at high altitudes, often near the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere. This capability allows it to counter more advanced missile threats than shorter-range systems such as the Patriot batteries.
The AN/TPY-2 radar plays a crucial role in detecting, tracking and guiding interceptors toward incoming ballistic missiles.
A full THAAD battery typically includes:
-Around 90 soldiers
-Six truck-mounted launchers
-Forty-eight interceptor missiles
-One AN/TPY-2 radar system
-A tactical fire control and communications unit
Each interceptor missile, produced by Lockheed Martin, costs roughly $13 million.
Limited global inventory
The US military operates only eight THAAD systems globally, with deployments in locations such as South Korea and Guam. Each battery costs roughly $1 billion, with the radar component accounting for about $300 million, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“These are scarce strategic resources and its loss is a huge blow,” said Tom Karako, a missile defense expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies was quoted by the news outlet.
Karako added that the US Army’s current force structure remains below earlier planning levels.
“The Army’s current eight-battery force is still below the force structure requirements of nine set back in 2012, so there aren’t exactly any spare TPY-2 lying around.”
Missile defence network under strain
The reported radar loss comes as air and missile defence systems across the Gulf region face sustained pressure from Iranian retaliatory attacks involving drones and ballistic missiles.
Earlier in the conflict, a separate early-warning radar — an AN/FPS-132 radar — located in Qatar was also damaged during an Iranian attack, according to research from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
Unlike THAAD’s mobile radar, the AN/FPS-132 system is designed to detect threats at very long distances but lacks the precision required to guide missile interceptors.
Concerns over interceptor shortages
Analysts cited warn that continued missile attacks could further strain the US defence network in the region, particularly as stockpiles of advanced interceptors — including THAAD and Patriot PAC-3 missiles — are already limited.
English (US) ·