Iran is systematically taking out crucial US missile defense tools: reports

Peloni:  The below article details how Iran has been conducting a campaign against U.S. missile defense infrastructure in the region since the war began, aimed specifically at degrading the radar and detection systems involved with U.S. defensive network capabilities in Western Asia. It cites Pentagon confirmation that Iran struck a $300 million radar system at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan stating that these radars are the essential core of systems like THAAD, because they detect incoming missiles, track their paths, and guide interceptor launches.

The author explains that the loss of even one AN/TPY-2 radar would be operationally serious, not only because of its central role in the defense array, but also because replacing it would require moving a unit from somewhere else, a process which could require significant time and effort to complete. Notably analysts aligned with the Pentagon explain that the overall defense network remains in strong condition, the author below argues that Iran appears to understand exactly which infrastructure is most vulnerable and valuable. He point to satellite imagery which is said to indicate damage at four AN/TPY-2 sites across the Arabian Peninsula, including locations in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan.

The author also argues that satellite images further indicate that Iran also hit a $1.1 billion early warning radar in Qatar while also damaged or destroyed facilities at 11 U.S. military sites across Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan over the past two weeks. From this, the author concludes that this would indicate that two THAAD batteries could be rendered effectively inoperative, significantly weakening regional missile defense during ongoing Iranian attacks. Noting that there are no surplus AN/TPY-2 radars in storage and that only about 20 of these radar units have been produced since the 1990s, the author raises concerns that replacing the two lost units would likely take years to complete.

Travis Gettys | Raw Story | March 12, 2026

Click on Link to Read Article

https://www.rawstory.com/iran-missile-defense-new-costs/