What is the #THAAD Missile Defense System? #military #army #navy #airforce #USA #missiledefense

We are going to look at: What is the THAAD missile defense system?
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), formerly Theater High Altitude Area Defense, is an #American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down short-, medium-, and intermediate-range #ballistic missiles in their terminal phase (descent or reentry) by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach. THAAD was developed after the experience of Iraq's #Scud missile attacks during the Gulf War in 1991. The THAAD interceptor carries no #warhead but relies on its #kinetic energy of impact to destroy the incoming missile. A kinetic energy hit minimizes the risk of exploding conventional-warhead ballistic missiles, and the warhead of #nuclear-tipped #ballistic missiles will not detonate upon a kinetic-energy hit.
Originally a United States Army program, THAAD has come under the umbrella of the Missile Defense Agency. The Navy has a similar program, the sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, which also has a land component ("Aegis ashore"). 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, Israel, Romania, and South Korea.