Germany’s THAAD Anti Ballistic Missile Systems to Intercept Russian Ballistic Missile

In 2015, the German government led by Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed a desire to acquire a ground-mobile air and missile defense system MEADS [Medium Extended Air Defense System], which was to replace their MIM-104 Patriot systems.

MEADS is a joint program between MBDA Italia, MBDA Deutschland, and Lockheed Martin. These three companies are part of MEADS International, a company based in Orlando, Florida tasked with developing the MEADS system.

Military sources quoted by ArmiRecognition say that today Berlin is ready to abandon this missile system, turning its attention to the latest version of Patriot with the promising radar of the latest generation GhostEye [formerly known as LTAMDS]. GhostEye is a product of Raytheon Corporation.

GhostEye LTAMDS Radar

GhostEye LTAMDS is a little-known radar, but it is a promising tool to deal with next-generation threats, hypersonic weapons, and any weapon that flies faster than 1.6 km/sec.

Raytheon Corporation says you can’t hide anything from GhostEye. The radar is equipped with three antenna arrays – one front primary and two rear secondaries. All three grilles work simultaneously and together. The radar is designed to be used by integrating a variety of anti-aircraft missile systems – those only for the United States or those of the next generation, as well as working with existing Patriot systems, which will benefit air defense operators around the world.

The war in Ukraine and the Russian invasion are completely changing international markets, and these changes have been happening for weeks instead of months or years. BulgarianMilitary.com reminds us that only a few days ago information came out that Berlin has a desire to acquire stealth fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, which until a year ago were not in Berlin’s plans at all.

 

 THAAD

Also, according to Reuters and their March 17, 2022 publication, Germany is ready to ask the United States to acquire the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense otherwise known as THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense missiles in these attacks.system. The reason for this is the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the fact that Russia uses ballistic missiles in these attacks.

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense [THAAD] is an anti-ballistic missile system developed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Entered service in the United States in 2008. From then until today THAAD continues to be produced and sold successfully. In addition to the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are its operators and use it to protect their airspace from medium-range and short-range missiles. Although the system is many years old, it was only in January this year that it managed to make the first documented interception of a ballistic missile that was launched by the Yemeni Hutus in the UAE.

The THAAD rocket weighs 900 kilograms and is powered by a single-stage Pratt & Whitney solid-fueled engine. The operational distance that can reach and hit a target is 200 km. It can fly at an altitude of up to 150 km, and the maximum speed of the THAAD missile that can be reached is Mach 8 or 10,000 km / h.

The missile has an indium-antimonide imaging infra-red seeker head, and the entire missile system is transported by a transporter erector launcher [TEL], which means a missile vehicle with an integrated prime mover [tractor unit].

THAAD uses AN / TPY-2 Army Navy / Transportable Radar. It operates in the X-band of the electromagnetic spectrum. This enables it to see targets more clearly and distinguish between an actual menace and non-threats, like launch debris. AN / TPY-2 can operate in two modes: forward-based mode and Terminal mode. In Forward-based mode, the radar detects ballistic missiles after they are launched. In Terminal mode, the radar helps guide interceptors toward a descending missile to defeat the threat.