00:24A
00:26chilling first image has emerged from the Middle East war zone, showing what appears to be a damaged U.S.
00:33missile defense radar in Muwafik-Sapi Air Base in Jordan.
00:37According to a report by Bloomberg, the United States multi-million dollar Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, better known
00:47as THAAD, was targeted during Iranian strikes in the opening days of the war.
00:52At the center of the damage is the powerful AN-TPY-2 radar, a critical component used to guide missile
01:02interceptors and track incoming ballistic threats.
01:05The radar system, built by RTX Corporation, is considered the eyes of the THAAD Defense Network.
01:13Data compiled by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies shows two reported Iranian strikes in Jordan on February 28th and
01:23March 3rd.
01:23Both attacks were reportedly intercepted, but analysts say the radar may still have been taken out of action.
01:31Experts warn that if Iran successfully disabled the radar, it would mark one of Tehran's most significant strikes against U
01:40.S. missile defense infrastructure so far.
01:43Each THAAD battery costs roughly $1 billion, with the radar alone valued at around $300 million, according to the Center
01:53for Strategic and International Studies.
01:55A typical THAAD unit includes six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptor missiles and a powerful TPY-2 radar, operated by
02:06about 90 U.S. soldiers.
02:08With the radar reportedly out of commission, interception duties may shift to Patriot missile system batteries, where stocks of the
02:17advanced PAC-3 interceptor missiles are already limited.
02:21The interceptor missiles themselves, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, cost roughly $13 million each.
02:29The United States currently operates eight THAAD systems worldwide, including deployments in South Korea and Guam.
02:38Experts say losing even one radar is a serious strategic setback.
02:43Meanwhile, another American radar, an AN-FPS-132 radar, located in Qatar, was also reportedly damaged earlier in the conflict,
02:55according to research from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
02:59The developments highlight growing pressure on U.S. air defense networks across the Gulf region.
03:06With waves of Iranian drones and ballistic missiles striking across multiple fronts, military analysts warn that stocks of advanced interceptors
03:16like THAAD and PAC-3 could soon run dangerously low.
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