Soldati descarcand lansatorul (prima fotografie) Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) dintr-un C-17 Globemaster III la Baza Aeriana Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, intre 3-5 mai. Sistemul THAAD desfasurat in Romania de la 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade din Fort Hood, Texas, 32d Army Air Missile Defense Command din Fort Bliss, Texas.
(#USArmy fotografii de Sgt. 1st Class Jason Epperson)
Mai multe unitati sunt implicate in desfasurarea sistemului: 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command, 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1-62 Air Defense Artillery Battalion, 32nd Army Air Defense Command, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, B-62 THAAD, 35th Signal Brigade , impreuna cu alte elemente de suport.
“The THAAD unit will be under NATO operational control and the full political control of the North Atlantic Council (n.r. – Allied Air Command). It will only remain operational until the Aegis Ashore Romania site is back online. The update and deployment are expected to last several weeks,” – US European Command.
“This site provides a defensive capability to deter future conflicts, and to defend ourselves and our NATO allies, should deterrence fail.
The THAAD element provides a globally-transportable, rapidly-deployable capability to intercept ballistic missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during their final, or terminal, phase of flight. THAAD is strictly a defensive weapon system. The system uses hit-to-kill technology where kinetic energy destroys the incoming target.
The THAAD system is a key element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). The system defends U.S.troops, allied forces, population centers and critical infrastructure against short and medium-range ballistic missiles.” – EUCOM
…Si pregatirea de plecare in prealabil in Europa:
PS – sa nu-l prinda tornadele.
*editat:
Lockheed Martin – THAAD Extended Range Hypersonic Ballistic Missile Defence System