New Delhi [India], March 8 (ANI): Satellite imagery and analysis reported by CNN indicate Iranian strikes across the region damaged radar systems tied to US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iranian media and state outlets claimed missiles and drones bypassed regional and Israeli defenses, including THAAD, and struck targets in Israel.
Images showed a radar supporting a THAAD battery at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base—more than 500 miles from Iran and hosting US operations—severely damaged or destroyed, with debris, burn marks and two nearby craters. The unit appeared spread across five large trailers, all heavily damaged. The radar is likely an AN/TPY-2 transportable system built by Raytheon, considered the central sensor of THAAD and cited in the 2025 US Missile Defense Agency budget as costing close to half a billion dollars.
CNN also noted possible strikes near Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base, where smoke was seen rising from a radar site that shelters THAAD equipment, though it was unclear whether the radar was present or whether the site was US or Saudi. Satellite imagery further suggested damage to buildings and pull-through vehicle sheds at military installations near Ruwais and Sader in the UAE—sites known to host THAAD batteries and radar systems. Imagery reportedly showed damage to an early warning radar in Qatar as well.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple waves of missiles and drones toward Tel Aviv. Iranian state media IRNA claimed projectiles likely bypassed regional missile defenses and hit areas including the Israeli Defense Ministry zone and Ben Gurion Airport. The Times of Israel reported Iran launched eight volleys of ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv, prompting millions to shelter in bunkers.
Experts stressed that striking radars does not wholly disable a THAAD battery but significantly reduces its effectiveness. “The AN/TPY-2 radar is essentially the heart of the THAAD battery, enabling the launch of interceptor missiles and contributing to a networked air defense picture,” N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, told CNN. “It also happens to be an incredibly expensive piece of kit. The loss of even a single radar of this type would be an operationally significant event.”
Lockheed Martin describes THAAD as a combat-proven defense against short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles and the only US system designed to intercept targets both outside and inside the atmosphere. The reported strikes and resulting damage to radar assets across the Gulf appear aimed at degrading the US-Israel linked missile detection and communications network spanning the region. (ANI)
(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)
