Iran destroys world's most expensive air defence system in UAE

The IRGC affirmed that the destruction of the two systems has provided Iran’s missile force with greater operational flexibility to strike targets with higher accuracy.

• Iran claims to have destroyed US-made THAAD system in UAE.
• IRGC says precision missiles hit Al-Ruwais defence site.
• Destruction of THAAD gives Iran more missile strike flexibility.

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In a another reminder of massive severe economic cost and financial fallout of a war, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they destroyed US-made THAAD air defence system at a defence site in Al-Ruwais, UAE, Iran's Fars News Agency reported.

The world's most expensive air defence system was destroyed in a precision missile strike, confirmed the news agency.

The UAE's Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) system is one of the most advanced in the world, with its “hit-to-kill” ability in which an interceptor flying at Mach 8 (9,900kph) can hit an attacking weapon head on.

A US-made system, Thaad has been sold to close allies, with several batteries held by the UAE that have proven of immense value in Iran’s latest attacks, as they did to protect Abu Dhabi against Houthi missiles in January 2022.

The interceptors, which cost $12 million each, are designed to destroy the attacking missile when it is in its terminal phase, heading downwards at great speed but on a predictable track.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Tuesday that it had destroyed a second U.S.-made “THAAD” missile defense system in the West Asia region.

In a statement, the IRGC said the American “THAAD” anti-missile system was struck by precision missiles launched by its Aerospace Force, rendering it inoperable, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency. It added that the radar of a “THAAD” system stationed at Al-Ruwais base in the United Arab Emirates had been destroyed the previous day.

The IRGC affirmed that the destruction of the two systems has provided Iran’s missile force with greater operational flexibility to strike targets with higher accuracy.