Lockheed Martin Space will manufacture new THAAD anti-missile system launchers for the United Arab Emirates worth 211.435 million dollars. The agreement provides for the supply of equipment in the Configuration 3 configuration.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine (Лев Шевченко) citing Army Recognition, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Lockheed Martin Space will produce new launchers for the THAAD anti-missile system in the Configuration 3 configuration for the United Arab Emirates for 211.435 million dollars. Modification P00082 to contract HQ0147-19-C-5001 provides for the delivery of launchers of the new C3 standard. Each such launcher carries eight interceptor missiles that engage ballistic targets using a direct hit-to-kill method.
The contracting party is the United States Missile Defense Agency, and the emergence of the C3 standard is directly related to the new hardware base. The update is designed to replace outdated equipment, eliminate cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and improve the maintainability of the system. The assembly also includes an update to the Link 16 interface and the integration of software for the AN/TPY-2 radar.
The new contract expands the country’s missile defence network
The modernisation fits into a broader transition to a dispersed THAAD architecture to maintain radio frequency communication with launchers remote from the main battery position. For the United Arab Emirates, this approach corresponds to the geographical location of objects requiring protection. Dispersing the launchers makes it more difficult for an adversary to disable an entire battery and expands the capabilities for intercepting missiles.
The relevance of this approach was confirmed by the experience of the United Arab Emirates during the confrontation with Iran in 2026. At that time, the country faced massive attacks by ballistic missiles and drones on military, energy, and civilian facilities. The issue of missile armament for air and missile defence systems is also being discussed in the context of Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian team expects to gain the technical capability to independently produce missiles for air defence systems by the end of 2026. At the same time, negotiations between Kyiv and Washington regarding the localization of such production are progressing unevenly. United States Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker clarified that Ukraine has not yet received an official license to manufacture Patriot interceptors.
Photo: RBC-Ukraine
