Ten Years of THAAD in the UAE: A Decade of Partnership, Deterrence and Innovation

For Lockheed Martin’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) brought significant firsts: The Missile Defense Agency and THAAD’s first foreign military sale (FMS), Lockheed Martin’s first delivery of THAAD hardware to an international partner and THAAD’s first operational engagements.

Lockheed Martin’s delivery of the first THAAD battery to the UAE in October 2015 cemented the THAAD Weapon System as a cornerstone of the nation’s missile defense architecture and established a partnership built on a long-term vision for regional stability. The UAE was already operating Patriot PAC-3 systems; adding THAAD made the nation the operator of one of the most sophisticated layered air and missile defense capabilities in the world.

For 50 years Lockheed Martin and the UAE have partnered to realize a strategic vision of securing the region and enhancing the UAE’s defensive capabilities. The UAE’s interest in THAAD dates back to 2007, when the UAE Ministry of Defense began a series of strategic conversations with the Missile Defense Agency aimed at addressing the rapidly expanding ballistic missile threat emanating from regional adversaries. The conversation centered on a simple premise: the UAE needed a weapon system with endo and exo-atmospheric missile defense capability that could intercept threats well before they reached populated areas and key assets on the ground. These conversations led to the UAE becoming THAAD’s first international partner to acquire the weapon system. 

“The decision to field THAAD in the UAE was driven by a mutual desire to realize regional stability through strong deterrence, protect citizens, and defend critical infrastructure,” recalled Dawn Golightly, vice president, Upper Tier Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Lockheed Martin. “When the UAE signed on as our first FMS customer, it opened a new chapter in our long-standing partnership.” 

The UAE’s inaugural THAAD battery — comprised of mobile launchers, missiles, an AN/TPY2 radar, and a fire control system — began arriving in Abu Dhabi in October 2015. In the following months, the newly trained UAE operators, along with Lockheed Martin, MDA and Raytheon personnel, conducted a series of system tests to validate system functionality and enable the UAE to begin operations.

For the UAE, THAAD is one of the primary pillars of deterrence against attack – but the technology is ready to work when needed most. This system proved its combat capability in January 2022 when THAAD successfully intercepted multiple hostile medium-range ballistic missiles. THAAD’s first operational engagements confirmed its effectiveness against ballistic missile threats and issued a clear statement: the UAE’s advanced Integrated Air & Missile Defense (IAMD) architecture was capable of defending the country and enabling conflicts to be addressed without escalation. It also demonstrated the importance of the close partnership for training and operations that the U.S. government, Lockheed Martin and the UAE Air Force & Air Defense (AFAD) had established—an approach that is modeled today throughout THAAD’s global deployments. THAAD’s seamless interoperability with the UAE’s command-and-control assets was further proof of THAAD’s ability to operate within a multitude of missile defense architectures.

THAAD’s presence in the UAE is an integral part of a layered, integrated defense system. It represents a powerful deterrent to adversaries, as well as demonstrates the vision and commitment of the UAE to defend and deter. As the UAE marks the 10-year anniversary of THAAD defending its people and assets, Lockheed Martin is charting the next decade through enhanced system capabilities and an enduring commitment to peace through strength.