A tracker of the hardware, procurement choices and geopolitical tripwires behind layered systems defending airspace from ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
The US Army's sole upper-tier hit-to-kill shield against ballistic missiles, exported to Gulf allies and drained by the 2025 Iran war, prompting a US$35 billion production contract.
full dossier ›US defense company and the world's largest arms producer, prime contractor for the F-35 fighter, THAAD missile defense, and a growing portfolio of precision-strike weapons.
A seven-year contract turns January's framework into orders, raising annual production from 96 to 400 as Middle East demand outruns supply
The US fired well over 100 THAAD interceptors in the Iran war, draining up to a third of a costly, slow-to-replace arsenal