Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $142.6 million contract modification to continue sustainment support for the United Arab Emirates’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. The award highlights Washington’s continued focus on strengthening integrated air and missile defense capabilities for key Gulf partners amid persistent ballistic and cruise missile threats in the region.
Issued through the U.S. Department of Defense, the modification increases the total value of the long-term THAAD sustainment contract to approximately $876.7 million. Lockheed Martin Space will provide comprehensive logistics, training, software and hardware upgrades, missile and ground system repairs, and specialized engineering support tailored to the UAE’s operational requirements. Contract work will be carried out across multiple U.S. locations, including California, Texas, and Arkansas, as well as in-country support sites in the Emirates, with performance scheduled from January 2026 through August 2028.
THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short- and medium-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase using hit-to-kill kinetic technology. Operating at high altitudes, the system provides upper-tier missile defense coverage and works in coordination with lower-tier assets such as the Patriot system, forming a layered defensive shield for critical infrastructure and population centers in the UAE.
Defense officials view the sustainment of THAAD as a strategic deterrent and a symbol of deepening U.S.-UAE defense cooperation. With Lockheed Martin remaining the sole prime contractor capable of maintaining the system’s interceptors, fire control, and radar architecture, the contract reinforces the long-term military-industrial partnership between Washington and Abu Dhabi at a time of heightened regional security challenges.
