This is the advanced anti-missile defense system being deployed to Korea — and it has Beijing spooked

pulse

March 7, 2017 6:17 PM

Meet THAAD — a unique missile-defense system with unmatched precision, capable of countering threats around the world.

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US ARMY MCGREGOR RANGE, New Mexico — The most advanced missile system on the planet can hunt and blast incoming missiles right out of the sky with a 100% success rate — and we got to spend a day with it.

Meet America's THAAD system.

THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) is a unique missile-defense system with

Deploying Americas THAAD

purported hydrogen-bomb test. Since then, the Kim regime has only continued its advance, with its latest missile launch happening earlier this week.

How THAADs hit to kill lethality works

Impressively, the THAAD interceptor does not carry a warhead. Instead, the interceptor missile uses pure kinetic energy to deliver "hit to kill" strikes to incoming ballistic threats inside or outside the atmosphere.

Lockheed Martin's missile launcher is just one element of the four-part antimissile system. The graphic below shows the rest of the components needed for each enemy-target interception.

radar

Raytheon

Once an enemy threat has been identified, THAAD's Fire Control and Communications (TFCC) support team kicks in. If there is a decision to engage the incoming missile, the launcher fires an interceptor to hunt

Here's what the launch looks like from far away:

While in flight, the interceptor will track its target and obliterate it in the sky.

The following infrared imagery shows THAAD demolishing the target:

By the end of 2016, the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is scheduled to deliver an additional 48 THAAD interceptors to the US military, bringing the total up to 155, according to a statement from the MDA's director, Vice Admiral J.D. Syring, given before the House Armed Service Committee.

According to the MDA, there are more than 6,300 ballistic missiles outside of US, NATO, Russian, and Chinese control.

While other US partners around the globe are interested in purchasing THAAD, the United Arab Emirates is the sole foreign buyer after signing a deal with the Department of Defense for $3.4 billion.

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