US Army awards contract to Lockheed Martin to produce eighth
Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin announced Tuesday that it has received a contract totaling $74 million to produce the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon System for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
As noted by the company, the award amount covers the production of an eighth THAAD battery for the U.S. government. It’s expected to be fielded by 2025.
U.S. Army Soldiers from Bravo Battery, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment system checks a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launcher during routine start up procedures in the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, June 25, 2020. The THAAD system and its Army operators are deployed to the region to assist in the deterrence and defense of malign forces in the area. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt Benjamin Wiseman)
“This award demonstrates the U.S. government’s continued confidence in the THAAD Weapon System and in its unique endo- and exo-atmospheric defense 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 U.S. Army in December 2016.
THAAD is a highly effective, combat-proven defense against short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. THAAD is the only U.S. system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere. The system uses Hit-to-Kill technology to destroy a threat with direct impact neutralizing 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.