Lockheed Martin Gets $18Mln to Provide THAAD Ground Components to UAE

The US Department of Defense said that US defense supplier Lockheed Martin won more than $18 million in foreign military sales to provide the United Arab Emirates with ground components for its THAAD system.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US defense supplier Lockheed Martin won more than $18 million in foreign military sales to provide the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with ground components for its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, the US Department of Defense said in a press release.

"Lockheed Martin Corp., Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, California, is being awarded an $18,861,310 modification to previously awarded contract for the United Arab Emirates Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ground components under a foreign military sales [contract]," the release explained. "The value of this contract is increased from $449,084,987 to $467,946,297."

THAAD ground components consist of a truck mounted rocket launcher, radar system and communications links that hook up with other ballistic missile defense systems within THAAD's range of operations, according to published US Missile Defense documentation.

The UAE is part of a coalition led by Saudi Arabia that has instituted a trade embargo on Qatar, home to a vital US Central Command installation.