First Saudi THAAD company inaugurated
The first Saudi THAAD company formed up with six launchers and an AN/TPY-2 radar at the Air Defense Institute. Other air defences – including one of the new Thales Ground Master 200 radars with its antenna retracted – are displayed around the periphery. (Saudi Ministry of Defense)
The Saudi Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on 2 July that the first company to operate the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) system had been inaugurated after completing field training in the kingdom.
During a ceremony held at the Air Defense Institute in Jeddah, Lieutenant General Mazyad Sulaiman al-Amro, the commander of the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF), handed the company's flag to the commander of the 1st Air Defense Group.
The MoD released photographs showing 160 air defenders formed up in front of six THAAD launchers and the AN/TPY-2 radar used with the system on the parade ground at the Air Defense Institute.
A video released by the MoD on 24 February showed Lt Gen Amro inspecting a poster at the Air Defense Institute that said the first THAAD had been deployed earlier that month.
For more information, please see THAAD and RapidRanger enter Saudi service .
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