US Army increases funding for THAAD missile interceptors to $8.32bn

The US Army has allocated additional funding for the production of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interceptors. Lockheed Martin was recently awarded an additional contract, which was announced on the US Department of Defense website.

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The new agreement was in addition to the previously awarded contract HQ0147-17-C-0032. Lockheed Martin received an additional $180.36 million, bringing the total funding to $8.32 billion. Work on the contract will take place at the company's plants in Texas, California, Alabama and Arkansas. The expected completion date is March 1, 2028.

THAAD is a US missile defence system for destroying ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of flight. In addition to missile interceptor launchers, the system includes a radar station along with a command and control system.

The anti-missile is equipped with a Pratt & Whitney engine that allows it to reach a speed of 10,000 km/h (M=8.2). It has a range of 200 km and a maximum intercept altitude of 150 km. The THAAD system is deployed in the US, South Korea, Israel and on the island of Guam where the US military base is located.

Source: Pentagon