Anti-missile system THAAD has passed "baptism of fire"
The United Arab Emirates deployed a US-purchased THAAD missile defense system to intercept ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis. According to Defense News, this is the first official deployment of an American missile defense system in a combat operation.
According to the publication of the publication, last Monday, the THAAD missile defense system deployed in the UAE during its “baptism of fire” intercepted one ballistic missile launched by the Houthis at one of the oil industry facilities located near the Ed Dhafra air base in Abu Dhabi. According to available information, the Houthis made an attempt to hit the oil storage of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
The details of the interception are not reported, only the fact of the use of the THAAD complex, which intercepted one missile, is stated. In fact, the blow was much more extensive, on Monday, a Houthi spokesman announced an attack on the airports of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. A large number of mines were used for the attack. drones and five ballistic missiles. Some of the drones and missiles were intercepted by air defense, but they failed to intercept everything. On Tuesday, explosions were officially reported in the ADNOC storage area in the industrial port of Mussaf and the death of company workers.
The UAE in 2011 signed a contract for two batteries of the THAAD anti-missile system worth $1,96 billion. In addition to the complexes themselves, the UAE received two AN / TPY-2 radars worth $582,5 million. The combined value of these agreements was approximately $2,6 billion and delivery was made in 2018.
The THAAD missile defense system is designed for high-altitude atmospheric interception of missiles within a radius of up to 200 kilometers. Last year it was reported that the United States is creating a combined missile defense system, which will include the Patriot air defense system and the THAAD anti-aircraft system, but the efforts made so far have not been successful.
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