U.S. military Saudi Arabia base's THAAD missile defense radar damaged in Iran attack

Xinhua News Agency Washington, April 2 — According to reports from CNN on April 2, the latest satellite images show that a critical U.S. military radar at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia was damaged in the March 1 attack by Iran.

The report states that the radar model is AN/TPY-2, which is a core component of the U.S. “THAAD” missile defense system. CNN previously reported that a tent housing the radar at Prince Sultan Air Base was hit, but it could not be confirmed whether the radar was inside the tent at the time of the attack or if it was damaged. The latest images show that the radar has now been moved out of the tent and is placed outdoors. Its antenna shows scorch marks and significant damage.

The report says Iran attempted to weaken U.S. capabilities to detect incoming missiles and drones by striking the radar. Previously, Iran also targeted the AN/TPY-2 radar deployed in Jordan and the early warning radar in Qatar.

The report states that the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, which is responsible for the THAAD program, listed the cost of one AN/TPY-2 antenna as $136 million in its 2025 budget. Currently, the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Central Command have not responded to the attack on the radar at Prince Sultan Air Base. (End)