Iran Destroys $300M Radar Critical to U.S. Missile Defense in the Gulf
A powerful radar system valued at nearly $300 million and crucial to the United States’ missile defense network in the Gulf has reportedly been destroyed by Iran, according to a report by Bloomberg, which cited a U.S. official.
Defense analysts say the loss of the radar has created a serious gap in high-altitude surveillance coverage, potentially weakening the region’s ability to detect incoming ballistic missile threats.
Satellite images obtained by CNN show that an AN/TPY-2 Radar system along with its support equipment was destroyed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base during the early days of the conflict. The radar was part of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system used by the United States.
A U.S. official later confirmed that the equipment had indeed been destroyed.
Data collected by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies indicates that Iran carried out two strikes in Jordan — one on February 28 and another on March 3. Both attacks were initially reported to have been intercepted.
The THAAD system is designed to intercept ballistic missiles at the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere, allowing it to counter more advanced threats than systems such as the MIM-104 Patriot Missile System.
Earlier in the conflict involving the United States and Israel, another radar system — the AN/FPS-132 Radar — located in Qatar was also damaged during an Iranian strike. Unlike the mobile THAAD radar, this installation is a fixed facility.
Experts say the destruction of the TPY-2 radar in Jordan, along with damage in Qatar and reported strikes on satellite communication terminals in Bahrain, points to a broader Iranian strategy. The goal appears to be targeting the sensors that act as the “eyes” of the U.S. missile defense network across the Gulf region.
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