Lockheed Martin has delivered the Minimum Combat Use Package (MEP) of the eighth battery of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system to the US government. This package includes three launchers and a fire control unit that will be integrated with the AN/TPY-2 radar manufactured by Raytheon Technologies. The remaining equipment is scheduled to be delivered later this summer. The delivery of the MEP significantly enhances the U.S. Army's ability to protect strategically important facilities and populations from the growing threats of ballistic missiles around the world.
THAAD is a combat—proven system capable of intercepting and destroying ballistic missiles at medium and high altitudes, both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere. The system uses the through-and-through kinetic principle and demonstrates 100% efficiency in test interceptions. According to Don Golightly, Lockheed Martin's vice president of integrated missile defense, the eighth battery will significantly enhance the U.S. Army's ability to respond to evolving threats, ensuring the security of the country and its allies.
Lockheed Martin has been the main contractor for the THAAD program since 1987, and the first battery was commissioned in 2008. The order for the eighth battery was placed in 2022, reflecting the continued demand for a multi-layered missile defense system in the face of global security challenges.
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