New Delhi. Amidst the fear of death raining from the sky and nuclear attack, there exists a hunter in the world who turns the enemy’s deadly weapons into junk without any gunpowder. This is America’s ‘THAAD’ missile defense system, which is said to be the world’s most dangerous bodyguard. Its ‘Hit-to-Kill’ technology is so fearsome that it simply collides with the enemy missile at tremendous speed and destroys it at the threshold of space. Its 100% accuracy has earned it the title of ‘Missile Killer’. However, this security is not everyone’s cup of tea. The cost of this system is so high that only rich countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE are able to bear the huge expense of its security.

What is Thaad? Confluence of technology and power
The full form of THAAD is Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. This is a mobile missile defense system of America which can be taken by plane to any corner of the world. It is designed to destroy enemy short, medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase. Its biggest feature is its ‘Hit-to-Kill’ principle. Most of the missiles in the world use explosives to destroy the enemy but THAAD does not have any explosive warhead. It collides with the enemy missile only due to its high speed (Mach 8.2). The ‘kinetic energy’ generated by this collision is so destructive that even an atomic bomb becomes useless without exploding.

5 biggest features of THAAD
1. Hunting at the Edge of Space: It can shoot down missiles both inside and outside the atmosphere (Endo and Exo-atmospheric). Very few systems have this capability.

2. AN/TPY-2 radar: These are the eyes of chic. It is the world’s most powerful ground-based X-band radar that can track objects as small as a football more than 1,000 km away.

3. Discrimination Accuracy: Its success rate is considered close to 100% because it attacks by direct hit (Kinetic Kill), due to which the chances of survival of the active warhead hidden in the debris become zero.

4. Mobility: The entire system is loaded on trucks. It can be deployed overnight to any battlefield in the world using cargo aircraft like C-17 Globemaster.

5. Safe Security: Since it attacks high in the air, if the enemy missile contains chemical or biological weapons, it does not affect the people living on the ground.

THAAD costs and expenses

Rearing and purchasing THAAD is not within the reach of every country. This is one of the most expensive defense deals in the world:

· Price of one unit: A complete THAAD battery (which includes radar, trucks, launchers and interceptors) costs between $800 million and $1 billion (about Rs 8,300 crore).

· Cost of one missile: Its single interceptor missile costs approximately $12 million (about Rs 100 crore).

· maintenance: Its radar and operations cost millions of dollars every year, which is why only rich countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE have been able to buy it.

THAAD missile: 10 most important questions

1. What is the maximum speed of THAAD missile?
It moves at a speed 8 times more than the speed of sound, i.e. approximately Mach 8.2 (2.8 km per second or 10,080 kilometers per hour (km/h)).

2. What is the range of THAAD missile?
This missile can hit targets up to 200 km away and can reach a height of 150 km (limit of space).

3. How many missiles are there in a THAAD battery?
A battery usually consists of 6 to 9 launcher trucks, and each truck is loaded with 8 interceptor missiles.

4. Can THAAD stop a nuclear attack?
Yes, it has been specifically designed to destroy ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads in the air.

5. What is the difference between THAAD and S-400 (Russia)?
The S-400 is an ‘all-rounder’ system that shoots down both aircraft and missiles while the THAAD is a ‘specialist’ to shoot down ballistic missiles only at very high altitudes.

6. Which company manufactures THAAD missile?
This deadly system is manufactured by American defense company Lockheed Martin.

7. What is the range of radar of THAAD missile?
Its radar (AN/TPY-2) can track missiles flying within a range of 1,000 km to 2,000 km.

8. Does THAAD missile destroy the enemy with blast?
No, it does not contain any explosive. It breaks the enemy missile into pieces only through kinetic energy (collision).

9. Which countries in the world have THAAD system?
At present, apart from America, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have this system. The US Army has deployed it in South Korea and Guam.

10. Does India have any system like THAAD?
India has its own developed Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) program and apart from this we also have the S-400 air defense missile system purchased from Russia which provides the same level of protection.