THAAD

A U.S. Army theater ballistic-missile defense system designed to intercept short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles inside and just outside the atmosphere in their terminal phase. It uses a hit-to-kill interceptor with no explosive warhead, destroying targets through kinetic impact alone.

Engagement

200 km

💲 Approximate cost per battery including radar and interceptors

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.: 8.24 Mach

67th pct in class
Engagement range Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.: 200 km

67th pct in class
Engagement altitude Maximum target altitude the system can reach.: 150,000 m

83th pct in class
Simultaneous targets Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.: 24

50th pct in class

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: THAAD hit-to-kill interceptor
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.: Hit-to-kill kinetic (no explosive warhead)
Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.: Inertial + infrared seeker homing

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.: AN/TPY-2 X-band radar
Radar range Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first.: 1,000 km

83th pct in class
Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.: Link 16, C2BMC

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.: $1,000,000,000

17th pct in class
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 5

33th pct in class

Specifications compiled from public Lockheed Martin and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.

Frequently asked questions

What is the engagement range of the Lockheed Martin THAAD? +

The Lockheed Martin THAAD has a maximum engagement range of 200 km.

What is the main armament of the Lockheed Martin THAAD? +

The Lockheed Martin THAAD's primary weapon is the THAAD hit-to-kill interceptor.

What is the Lockheed Martin THAAD used for? +

The Lockheed Martin THAAD is a air defense system typically used for air defense.

How many countries operate the Lockheed Martin THAAD? +

The Lockheed Martin THAAD is operated by 5 countries.

How much does the Lockheed Martin THAAD cost? +

The Lockheed Martin THAAD has an approximate unit cost of 1,000,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.