Lockheed Martin to provide maintenance for THAAD air defense missile systems of UAE.

According to a contract released by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on January 15, 2021, American company Lockheed Martin Space, Sunnyvale, California, is being awarded a sole-source, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price definite contract under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to provide maintenance and sustainment for two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries for UAE (United Arab Emirates).
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U.S. Army Soldiers from Bravo Battery, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment system checks a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launcher during routine start up procedures in the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, June 25, 2020. (Picture source U.S. DoD)

The maintenance and sustainment scope of work includes providing logistics management, logistics product database, training, missile and ground repair and return, hardware/software development and sustainment, hardware in the loop, engineering services, missile field surveillance program, and country unique specialty engineering for FMS (Foreign Military Sale) client.

In December 2011, a contract of $3.9 billion was awarded to the American company Lockheed Martin for the sale of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) air defense missile systems to the UAE (United Arab Emirates).  The United States, under the government-to-government deal, has delivered two THAAD batteries, 96 missiles, two Raytheon Co AN/TPY-2 radars plus 30 years of spare parts, support, and training with contractor logistics support to the UAE. 

The UAE was the first Middle-East country to acquire the THAAD, to counter the threat of ballistic missiles, launched from Iran and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. 

The THAAD is an American-made air defense missile system designed, built, and integrated by American company Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control acting as prime contractor. Key subcontractors include Raytheon, Boeing, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Honeywell, BAE Systems, Oshkosh Defense, and MiltonCAT. The missile system is designed to defend against short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. It provides a unique endo-and exo-ballistic defense capability and was specifically designed to provide a robust capability against mass raid. The system uses proven Lockheed Martin technology to destroy a threat with direct impact – providing ensured negation of weapons of mass destruction, enhanced reliability and safety.

Each THAAD system includes five major components: interceptors, launchers, a radar, a fire control unit and THAAD-specific support equipment. THAAD is the only missile defense system with the operational flexibility to intercept in both the endo- and exo-atmospheres to provide versatile capability to the warfighter. The missile has a maximum firing range of 200 km with a flight ceiling of 150 km.