New Delhi, March 8: Iranian strikes across the region appear to have degraded parts of the US-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) network after radar systems in several West Asia locations were hit, as per a CNN report.
Iranian missiles and drones, as per Iranian media claims, seem to have also managed to bypass the Western and Israeli defence systems, including THAAD, and reach targets in Israel.
According to satellite imagery and analysis reported by CNN, radar systems linked to THAAD batteries in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were struck during the opening days of the conflict.
These radar systems aided the US and Israel in sustaining operations for detecting and tracking incoming ballistic missiles and drones.
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), has been described by Lockheed Martin as 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 and it continues incremental capability improvements within the weapon system to continually improve effectiveness against current and emerging threats.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday also launched multiple waves of missiles and drones towards Tel Aviv.
Reports citing Iranian state media IRNA claimed that the strikes and the plethora of projectiles likely bypassed regional missile defence systems and hit targets, including the Israeli Defence Ministry area and Ben Gurion Airport.
The US THAAD is part of those regional missile defence systems.
According to the Times of Israel, Iran launched eight volleys of ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv that made millions of people take shelter in bunkers.
Satellite imagery, the ones obtained by CNN, showed that a radar system supporting a THAAD battery at Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base was struck and likely destroyed. The base, located more than 500 miles from Iran, hosts US military aircraft and operations.
The radar was part of the AN/TPY-2 transportable radar system built by Raytheon. The radar is considered the central sensor of the THAAD interceptor system and costs close to half a billion dollars, according to a 2025 US Missile Defence Agency budget.
Satellite images showed debris and burn marks around the radar location along with two large craters nearby, indicating that multiple strikes may have been used to destroy the system. The radar unit is spread across five large trailers, all of which appeared to have been severely damaged or destroyed, the CNN report added.
Another possible strike, as per CNN, was observed near Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, where smoke was seen rising from a radar site used to shelter a THAAD radar unit. It was not immediately clear whether the radar was present at the time of the strike or whether it belonged to the US military or Saudi forces.
Additional satellite images indicated damage to several buildings at military installations near Ruwais and Sader in the UAE. These sites are known to host THAAD batteries and radar systems. Pull-through vehicle sheds used to store radar equipment were among the structures hit.
Experts say that damaging the radar does not completely disable a THAAD battery but significantly reduces its effectiveness.
"The AN-TPY/2 radar is essentially the heart of the THAAD battery, enabling the launch of interceptor missiles and contributing to a networked air defense picture," N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, told CNN.
"It also happens to be an incredibly expensive piece of kit. The loss of even a single radar of this type would be an operationally significant event," he added.
Satellite imagery also showed damage to an early warning radar system in Qatar, which is likely linked to the Iranian desire to degrade the US-Israel nexus for a wider missile detection and communication network across the Gulf. (ANI)
