A RapidRanger launches a Starstreak missile. (Thales)
The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF) has begun to deploy its first Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) exoatmospheric ballistic missile interception system, it was revealed during the annual graduation event at the Air Defense Forces Institute in Jeddah.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense released a video showing RSADF commander Lieutenant General Mazyad Sulaiman al-Amro attending the event, during which he was shown a poster that said the THAAD began deployment on either 2 or 3 Shaban 1446 (the Arabic numerals for 2 and 3 are difficult to tell apart), a Hijri date that corresponds to 1 or 2 February.
This deployment announcement comes after the first Saudi THAAD operators graduated their training courses at Fort Bliss in Texas in November 2024.
The first Saudi THAAD battery was not expected to be operational for another year, as a request for proposals released by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 2022 revealed the first site at Ras al-Ghar on the Gulf coast was expected to be completed in February 2026, with all seven sites completed by April 2028.
RapidRanger
A second poster seen at the Air Defense Forces Institute said that a system that includes the Thales Ground Master 200 (GM200) air surveillance radar and RapidRanger short-range air-defence system entered service on 6 February. Thales advertises this combination as one option for its ForceShield range.
Both a GM200 and a RapidRanger were displayed on the institute's parade ground for the graduation alongside other systems previously known to be in service with the RSADF.
While this is the first confirmation that the ForceShield has been delivered to Saudi Arabia, a Thales representative told Janes
Looking to read the full article?
Gain unlimited access to Janes news and more...