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| THAAD |
The US Department of Defense on Monday made a major adjustment to its missile defense program: Lockheed Martin received a contract worth $ 2.06 billion for the production of interceptors for the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system, the very "shield" that is supposed to catch enemy ballistic missiles on approach.
This is not a new contract, but a modification of an existing one. Now its total value has increased from $8.35 billion to $10.42 billion, a figure that makes one's ears pop. But in the face of growing threats from North Korea, Iran and other countries, the Pentagon considers such investments necessary.
What will Lockheed Martin do? To produce key components of THAAD interceptors at fixed prices — that is, without additional surcharges. Work will unfold at several plants: in Dallas (Texas), Sunnyvale (California), Troy (Alabama) and Camden (Arkansas). This is not only defense, but also jobs — both politics and economics combined.
The THAAD system is one of the most efficient in the world: it intercepts rockets at high altitude, even before they have time to enter the dense layers of the atmosphere. It has already been deployed in South Korea, Guam, Qatar and other hot spots. Now the United States wants to increase its stock of interceptors in case a massive missile attack begins.
The expected completion date is December 1, 2029. At the start of the contract, the Pentagon had already allocated $284.92 million for procurement in 2024-2025.
Interestingly, only one offer was requested for this contract, and one was received. In other words, Lockheed Martin is actually a monopolist in this field. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in Huntsville, Alabama, is the customer and is overseeing the process.
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