$35 Billion for Mr. THAAD
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Interceptor, first fielded in 2008, is, along with Aegis SM-3, the exo-atmospheric ballistic missile defense “meat” in the layered air defense sandwich between the full-on ICBM-killing Ground-Based Interceptor, and shorter-range MIM-104 Patriot and SM-2.
The thing is, the Army only has a grand total of eight THAAD batteries, and in the recent escapades in the Middle East, reportedly anywhere between 15 and 50 percent of the total U.S. THAAD interceptor stockpile has been expended.
So the meat is getting pretty thin on that sandwich.
As it moves toward rebuilding and expanding that inventory (keep in mind all the Gulf States are buying them as well), the Pentagon has just given Lockheed a 7-year, $35 billion award for more THAADs.
For that same amount of taxpayer slush, the Navy could get 13 of the newest SM-3 slinging Flight III Burkes (maybe even 14 or 15 if done in a block buy), each of which will serve for 30 years, or almost three new Ford class CVNs (airwings not included), which would each serve for 50.
Just saying.
Anyways, via DOD/DOW contracts:
Lockheed Martin Corp. Missiles and Fire Control, Dallas, Texas, is awarded a multi-year procurement sole-source, fixed-price incentive, undefinitized contract for the production of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Interceptors. The total value of this contract is $35,327,237,604. Under this contract, the contractor will produce THAAD missile rounds, under fixed-price contract line-item numbers. The work will be performed in Dallas, Texas; Sunnyvale, California; Troy, Alabama; and Camden, Arkansas. The performance period is from March 2026 through June 2032. One offer was solicited, and one offer was received. Fiscal 2026 procurement funds in the amount of $842,871,672 are being obligated at time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity.