Iran has reportedly destroyed a US-made radar system worth around $300 million, used to guide the US missile defense system in the region, amid heightened tensions between the two nations.
According to US media reports, a senior US official confirmed that Iran has indeed damaged the advanced radar system, which has significantly reduced the region’s ability to counter potential future attacks. Satellite images show that the AN/TPY-2 radar system, manufactured by RTX Corporation, and its associated equipment, which are part of the US THAAD missile defense system, were destroyed at the Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base during the early days of the conflict.
CNN reported the satellite images earlier, which have now been confirmed by a senior US official. The Think Tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies estimates that Iran conducted at least two attacks on Jordan, with the first on February 28 and the second on March 3. Initial reports indicated that both attacks were unsuccessful.
However, a US TV report claimed that the damage to the radar system is uncertain, given that it is located within the Emirati building. Nonetheless, a single THAAD system costs around $50 billion, and a radar system’s cost is around $300 million.
Ryan Brobst, the deputy director of the Center on Military and Political Power, stated that if the THAAD radar system was indeed hit by Iran, it would be one of the most significant Iranian successes in the ongoing conflict.
Brobst added that the US military and its allies have other radar systems in place that can continue to provide air and missile defense capabilities, which would mitigate the effects of losing a single radar system. In the event of the AN/TPY-2 radar system’s destruction, the responsibility for missile defense would likely be transferred to the Patriot system, although the PAC-3 missiles are in limited supply.
The US has eight THAAD systems deployed worldwide, including in South Korea and Guam. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a single THAAD battery costs around $1 billion, while a radar system costs approximately $300 million.
The UAE Ministry of Defense stated that the country’s defense system has intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones since the beginning of the conflict. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that the victims of the attack are from the same family.
As the conflict escalates, Emirati traders are forced to sell gold at reduced rates due to the widespread war in the Middle East.
In other news, the US has expressed concerns that Chinese hackers may be involved in a potential cyber attack on the FBI network. In a separate incident, a 27-year-old woman in Bangalore, India, allegedly took her own life after a domestic dispute.
