Iran has destroyed a key Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) radar system used by the US to detect and intercept ballistic missiles in the Middle East, dealing a major blow to Washington’s missile defence network as the war between Iran, the US and Israel, into its second week, intensifies, Bloomberg reported.
A US official told Bloomberg that the AN/TPY-2 radar, an essential component of the THAAD missile defence system, was struck and destroyed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan during the early days of the conflict. The radar, estimated to cost around USD 300 million, helps guide interceptor missiles used to track and destroy incoming ballistic threats.
Satellite imagery reviewed by analysts showed extensive damage to the radar installation at the air base, a key US military hub located over 800 km from Iran. Images taken after the strike showed two large craters near the radar site, suggesting that multiple projectiles may have been used in the attack.
The radar system is mounted across several large trailers and forms the backbone of the THAAD battery’s detection and tracking capability. Satellite analysis indicated that the radar and its support equipment were either destroyed or heavily damaged in the strike.
The radar had been deployed at the Jordanian base since mid-February, shortly before the outbreak of hostilities on February 28, when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets. Analysts believe the system was hit around March 1 or March 2, CNN reported.
THAAD systems represent one of the most advanced missile defence technologies used by the US military. They are designed to intercept ballistic missiles in the final stage of their flight path, high in the atmosphere, allowing them to neutralise long-range threats before they reach their targets.
With the AN/TPY-2 radar at Muwaffaq Salti now out of commission, the burden of missile interception in the area could fall more heavily on Patriot air defence systems, which are typically used to counter shorter-range missile threats.
The US operates eight THAAD batteries worldwide, including deployments in South Korea and Guam. Each battery costs about USD 1 billion and consists of six truck-mounted launchers, dozens of interceptor missiles, a radar system and a tactical command unit.
The Muwaffaq Salti Air Base has been a major operational hub for US forces in the region. Satellite images taken before the war showed more than 50 aircraft, including fighter jets, drones and transport planes stationed at the facility.
Earlier in the war, another US radar installation — the AN/FPS-132 early warning radar in Qatar — was also reported damaged during an Iranian attack, according to research by the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies.
The strike underscores the expanding reach of Iran’s retaliation as the regional war widens, raising fresh concerns about the vulnerability of US missile defence infrastructure across the Middle East.
