Lockheed delivers THAAD missile

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DALLAS, March 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army's first Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery has received all hardware and components for full operation.

Lockheed Martin said it has delivered its 24th missile interceptor to the A-4 ADA Battery at Fort Bliss, Texas, which was first activated in 2008.

"The Lockheed Martin THAAD team is proud to deliver this important capability to the warfighter," said Mat Joyce, vice president and program manager for the THAAD weapon system at Lockheed Martin.

"We remain focused on ensuring the THAAD system remains reliable, affordable and effective."

The THAAD anti-missile defense system is capable of intercepting short-, medium- and intermediate-range missiles in both the endo- and exo-atmospheres and is an element of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System. The interceptor missile has a range of about 124 miles and travels at about 1.7 miles per second.

The U.S. Army currently has two THAAD batteries, both at Fort Bliss. A third battery is expected to be activated late this year.