File image.
Satellite images released by Planet Labs and other sources on March 4 confirmed that Iran managed to hit two additional American-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, one deployed in Saudi Arabia and another in Jordan.
The system hit in Saudi Arabia was deployed at Prince Sultan Air Base in the center of the kingdom. The system is likely one of seven the kingdom purchased from the United States close to ten years ago. It is likely the first one delivered and activated last year.
Multiple U.S. warplanes are currently based at Prince Sultan, including airborne early warning and control aircraft, as well as communication relay planes.
The other system was hit at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in central-eastern Jordan. It is likely the same system the U.S. military deployed there just weeks before launching an attack with Israel against Iran. Currently, dozens of American fighter jets are based at the air base.
Satellite images indicate that the AN/TPY-2 long-range surveillance radars of both systems were struck. The hits are exactly where the radars are typically situated.
Click to see full-size image.
Click to see full-size image.
Click to see full-size image.
The THAAD was designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach. The system can engage missiles at ranges of 150 to 200 kilometers.
Typically, each system consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, at least one AN/TPY-2 radar, radio equipment, and requires 95 soldiers to operate.
A THAAD system could cost anywhere from $1 to $3 billion. The cost of the AN/TPY-2 radar alone could be well over $500 million. Meanwhile, a single interceptor costs just over $12.7 million.
Just a day earlier, it was confirmed that Iran was able to strike both of the UAE’s THAAD systems. Two AN/TPY-2 radars appeared to have been targeted at their respective deployment sites close to the capital, Abu Dhabi, according to satellite images.
Separately, Planet Labs released a satellite image showing heavy damage at the American-made AN/FPS-132 radar site near Al Udeid Air Base close to the Qatari capital, Doha.
The high-power, solid-state phased-array radar is used for long-range early warning of ballistic missile attacks and space surveillance. It costs $1,1 billion and has a range of up to 5,000 kilometers. The radar in question is owned and operated by the Qatar Emiri Air Force, but is believed to support U.S. military operations in the region.
Click to see full-size image.
Other satellite images shared by The New York Times show destroyed radar domes and satellite communication thermals of the U.S. military at Al Udeid Air Base, as well as at Ali Al Salem Air Base in central Kuwait, and the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet near Manama, the capital of Bahrain.
Click to see full-size image.
Click to see full-size image.
Click to see full-size image.
The latest images indicate that Iran didn’t just inflict heavy losses on the U.S. and its allies, but also succeeded in disturbing their anti-missile capabilities.
The U.S. will likely deploy additional air defense assets from other parts of the world to make up for these losses. There are no guarantees, however, that Iran won’t simply strike the new systems again.
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i hope that traitorous russia will pay for its betrayals. that a wonderful day will come when newsom will go to the white house as president of the united states.and china and kazakhstan will stand on the side of germany and together they will destroy the traitorous russia. this means that all traitors, both russians and alawites, who are the main culprits for the murdered iranian schoolgirls, will have to defend moscow. so that not one alawite house in moscow will be untouched.
tagged: zionist agent
this idiot has no clue what he’s speaking of.
mighty iran is holding strong against the combined strength of little satan and big satan. this is very impressive. under sanctions, zero lobby group termites, yet, the mighty iranian nation has a pure heart that stands for justice and this is 1000 times brighter than the empty soul of zionism
then came the drought in syria and then the rains and landslides and made their treacherous lattakia uninhabitable forever. that there would be nothing left in lattakia except a few scorpions and a few isis-k. because of russian-alawite treachery, israel now has a wide open sky to attack iranian schoolgirls.
200 iranian girls had to die because russians and alawites are traitors.so i hope nato will destroy all their traitor houses and apartments in moscow and kill all these traitors.
every traitor must be killed by a nato missile.and the rest of the traitors must die of hunger and thirst in latakia. only if landslides, floods, and drought forever made latakia suitable only for isis-k and the scorpions would these traitors receive adequate payment for their betrayal.the rest of the traitors should be burned on a pile of scrap tires by the poles, estonians and ukrainians in moscow. better alive than dead. 200 dead iranian schoolgirls because pigs opened the skies for israel.
you’re a jew clever than the others….. nice try.
gaslighting gibberish, a speciality of the jooz.
good work from iran.
all americunts are inferior species–we like to kill 8 yr old girls