BAE Systems Delivers 1,000th THAAD Seeker for Ballistic Missile Defense Program
BAE Systems recently delivered its 1,000th infrared seeker to Lockheed Martin for integration on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor missile, achieving a major production milestone. The THAAD seeker provides key sensing and guidance capabilities that help protect the U.S. and its global allies from ballistic missiles. BAE Systems has designed and manufactured innovative infrared technology for the THAAD interceptor since the program’s inception. Guided by the company’s advanced sensor technology, THAAD interceptors engage ballistic missiles and can destroy warheads with kinetic force both inside and outside of the atmosphere. THAAD is a highly effective defense against short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. Its seeker uses innovative sensors to identify and lock onto targets and route interceptors to incoming targets.
“At BAE Systems, we support our nation and its allies with the most advanced capabilities and technologies,” said Neeta Jayaraman, product line director for Precision Guidance and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems. “The 1,000th THAAD seeker delivery reinforces our collaboration with Lockheed Martin and showcases our ability to deliver reliable next-generation targeting systems on time, enhancing precision-strike capabilities to counter emerging threats.”
“The strategic importance of the combat-proven THAAD Weapon System in defending our nation and its allies has never been more globally highlighted than in recent months,” said Dawn Golightly, Lockheed Martin’s vice president for Upper-Tier Integrated Air and Missile Defense. “Our production team and suppliers remain committed in their support of THAAD’s mission, and we look forward to our continued partnership with BAE Systems and our valued supply chain network.”
A leader in precision-guided munitions, BAE Systems has been developing seeker technology for more than 40 years. The company’s highly skilled and experienced workforce manufactures complex THAAD seekers, leveraging extensive design and production expertise and robust supply chain management to ensure effectiveness and reliability. THAAD Seeker is an integral part of the THAAD guidance system, using BAE Systems advanced sensors to “seek” and lock onto incoming targets – enemy ballistic missiles moving up to 17,000 miles per hour – so that the guidance system can route the THAAD interceptor to the threat. As escalating security threats around the world have spurred the modernization of defense systems to deter aggression, BAE Systems has continually improved its sensor designs to advance performance of both precision-guided munitions (PGM) and electronic warfare (EW) systems. BAE Systems’ work on the THAAD seeker takes place at the company’s state-of-the-art facilities in Nashua, New Hampshire, and Endicott, New York.
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), formerly Theater High Altitude Area Defense, is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase (descent or reentry). The THAAD interceptor carries no warhead, instead relying on its kinetic energy of impact to destroy the incoming missile. THAAD was developed after the experience of Iraq’s Scud missile attacks during the Gulf War in 1991. Originally a United States Army program, THAAD has come under the umbrella of the Missile Defense Agency. THAAD was originally scheduled for deployment in 2012, but initial deployment took place in May 2008. THAAD has been deployed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel, Romania, and South Korea. On 17 January 2022, THAAD made its first operational interception of an incoming hostile medium-range ballistic missile in the UAE.
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