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Saudi Arabia Activates First THAAD Missile Defense Unit

The system completes Vision 2030’s push for local defense production, standing ready to counter Iran’s regional missile attacks.

Echo Battery and Task Force Talon stand ready to protect and defend, at a moment’s notice, the U.S. territory of Guam and the United States. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Vincent Antoniello)

Overview

  • Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry inaugurated the unit at the Air Defense Forces Institute in Jeddah after completing system tests and collective troop training.
  • The inaugural crew graduated from THAAD operator training at Fort Bliss, Texas, in November and began deploying the battery domestically in February.
  • In May, Arabian International Co. for Steel Structures delivered Saudi Arabia’s first domestically manufactured THAAD launcher components under a Lockheed Martin subcontract.
  • A THAAD battery stationed at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles during the June conflict involving U.S. support for Israel.
  • The activation fulfills part of a $15 billion agreement signed under President Trump, which includes additional batteries, launchers and interceptors to bolster Gulf air defenses.