Saudi Arabia’s Air Defense Forces announced the inauguration of its first battery in the US THAAD missile defense system on X/Twitter on Thursday.
The system was inaugurated after it was tested, inspected, and field training was completed by the appointed personnel within the Kingdom’s territories, Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said.
The battery was reportedly purchased in a $15 billion deal with US President Donald Trump during his first term, which included an additional six THAAD batteries, 44 launchers, and 360 interceptors.
The THAAD system was built with Lockheed Martin
In May, Arab News reported that the kingdom had completed the first domestically manufactured components for the THAAD system in Jeddah, calling the move a “significant step forward in the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to localize its defense industry.”
According to the report, manufacturing the components was a combined effort between the Saudi military and Lockheed Martin.
“It is particularly significant as it demonstrates how the two companies successfully worked to bolster manufacturing expertise, strengthening the country’s defense industrial base while establishing a second source and building resilience for the US supply chain,” Lockheed Martin said in a statement.
“Through this program, we’re not only supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and enhancing regional defense capacity, but we’re also generating high-quality manufacturing jobs in the US and strengthening the American defense industrial base, a testament to the value of our partnership with AIC Steel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
THAAD was brought to Israel in October 2024 to assist in the war with Iran
Lockheed Martin developed THAAD to intercept and destroy short- and medium-range ballistic missiles in the final stages of their flight. It is comparable to Israel's Arrow 3 defense system.
It operates using a "hit-to-kill" method without a warhead, relying on the kinetic energy generated by the collision with the threatening missile. The system's radar can detect and track missiles and aircraft at distances of over 2,000 kilometers, enabling the interception of missiles within a range of up to 200 kilometers and at altitudes of up to 150 kilometers.
The THAAD system was deployed to Israel in October of 2024 along with its 100-member crew in preparation for an Iranian attack.
At the time of its deployment, the United States signed multi-billion-dollar arms deals with Israel and made plans to upgrade military infrastructure in the country, including a base in southern Israel and aviation facilities.
“This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran,” the Pentagon said in its announcement that it was deploying the THAAD system to Israel. The announcement came nearly two weeks after Iran attacked Israel with a ballistic missile on October 1.
“It is part of the broader adjustments the US military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias,” the Pentagon stated.
Jerusalem Post Staff and Avi Ashkenazi contributed to this report.