The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile has sparked curiosity following the announcement by the Israeli military. After the Israeli military revealed that the THAAD system, used by the US to intercept long-range ballistic missiles in the country, had been deployed, questions arose about what the THAAD missile is, its range, and features. So, what is a THAAD missile, and what is its range? The THAAD missile is a ballistic missile defense system developed to counter short and medium-range threat elements, owned by the US Army. Although the THAAD system produced by Lockheed Martin was initially intended as a stopgap solution for Scud and similar SRBMs, it partly possesses defense capabilities against more advanced and longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles as well. WHAT IS THE RANGE AND FEATURES OF THE THAAD MISSILE? The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to intercept short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase (descent or re-entry). Instead of carrying a warhead to hit an incoming missile, THAAD uses its kinetic energy at the moment of impact. The THAAD missile is effective at a range of only 200 kilometers, but with an altitude value of 150 kilometers, it has a capability that very few anti-ballistic missiles possess, and it is also effective against ballistic missiles with a range of 3,000 kilometers (short-range ballistic missile [SRBM] + medium-range ballistic missile [MRBM]). HOW DID THE THAAD MISSILE COME ABOUT? Initially a US Army program, THAAD later fell under the responsibility of the Missile Defense Agency. There is also a similar program of the Navy, which includes a land-based component called the sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (“Aegis Ashore”). THAAD was initially planned to be deployed in 2012 but the first deployment actually took place in May 2008. THAAD has been deployed in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Romania, and South Korea. On January 17, 2022, THAAD successfully intercepted an enemy medium-range ballistic missile operationally for the first time in the United Arab Emirates.