Iran has dealt several blows to the air defenses of the United States and its allies in the Middle East, degrading their ability to intercept its missiles and drones.
The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and while other countries in the region didn’t join the attack, the Islamic Republic didn’t hesitate to attack American bases there. Air defenses in the region acting as a first line of defense for Israel became a prime target for Iranian retaliatory strikes.
On March 3, it was confirmed that Iranian strikes hit both of the United Arab Emirates’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems. The AN/TPY-2 radars of the systems, both deployed near the Emirate capital of Abu Dhabi, were struck.
The very next day, March 4, it was confirmed that two additional THAAD systems were successfully targeted by the Islamic Republic.
One of the systems was deployed at Prince Sultan Air Base in the center of Saudi Arabia. Just like in the UAE, the strikes hit the AN/TPY-2 radar. The other system, deployed by the U.S., was hit at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in central-eastern Jordan. Again, the Iranian strikes took out the AN/TPY-2 radar.
The THAAD was designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles at a distance of 150 to 200 kilometers. A single system could cost as much as $3 billion. The cost of the AN/TPY-2 radar alone could be well over $500 million.
Also on March 4, it was confirmed that the American-made AN/FPS-132 radar site near Al Udeid Air Base close to the Qatari capital, Doha, was hit. The large radar is used for long-range early warning of ballistic missile attacks. It costs $1,1 billion and has a range of up to 5,000 kilometers.
In addition to the radar, several communication terminals were hit by Iranian strikes at Al Udeid Air Base, further degrading U.S. capabilities there.
On the same day, the destruction of an AN/GSC-52B and AN/TSC-86F satellite terminals in the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in the Bahraini capital, Manama, was confirmed.
What has been confirmed so far is likely only a fraction of the damage caused by Iranian missile and drone strikes. In Israel, losses are being kept under tight wraps. Still, there are clear signs that the air defenses of the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East have been degraded in a significant manner.
