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Late last year, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) stated that the government of Qatar had asked
for 12 THAAD launchers, 150 THAAD interceptors, 2 THAAD fire control and communication systems, 2 THAAD fire units,
2 AN/TPY-2 THAAD radars and one early warning radar unit. All these combined with the support and maintenance system
are valued at $6.5 billion approximately.
Said Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of International
Air and Missile Defence, Orville Prins at the
Dubai Airshow: “There is a lot going on in the
Middle East and Asia Pacific as well as in Europe.
In the Middle Eastern region, threat levels are
increasing based on what has been going on in
Syria and so there is a continuing high level
of interest in what goes on in the AMD (Air Missile
and Defence) arena, particularly the effectiveness
against TBMs (Theatre-Range Ballistic Missile)
fitted with WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction) warheads.”
THAAD is US Army’s and Missile Defense Agency’s prime anti-missile system integrated by Lockheed martin. Sub-systems
and components are supplied by Raytheon, Boeing, Rocketdyne, Honeywell and BAE Systems and Aerojet. The system uses
kinetic energy for hit-to-kill (HTK) targets, quite mature, but is still under further development for increased capability.
Raytheon’s AN/TPY-2 Radar is a key component.
THAAD is already reported to be deployed in the UAE, and Qatar should be the second country in the region.
UAE also has the Patriot PAC 2 Gem+ missiles with proximity kill, made and integrated by Raytheon. Its PAC-3 hit to
kill missile version is made by Lockheed Martin and both the companies cooperate in this venture.
Prins pointed out that the PAC-3 also had an improved version now, PAC-3 MSE, with an extended range and that “we
anticipate that the US government will approve production in the US which allocates the first year’s production for the US Army.”
The US government has approved 16 countries for MSE classified briefings for potential sale to international customers.”
Prins stated that THAAD is the only AMD system that can address both endo- and exo-atmospheric threats.
“What you have here in the UAE is a tiered defence or “defence in depth” arrangement, with PAC-3 being the point defence
capability and THAAD giving the area defence coverage. This combination gives you this layered defence capability against
both air-breathing and TBM threats.”
PAC-3 MSE missile is being tested now at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
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