US Army trains new Saudi anti-missile THAAD crew as Gulf air defense lags
Despite damage from Israel’s June air campaign, Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal continues to threaten Arab states and has in the past limited US military access to regional bases, testing the Pentagon’s ability to manage its global resources.
WASHINGTON — The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces announced the graduation of a new class of THAAD anti-ballistic missile operators, as the Pentagon continues to gradually strengthen the kingdom’s ability to defend its skies against Iranian threats.
“This is part of a broader initiative to build a fully qualified Saudi operational and maintenance crew for the THAAD system, one of the world’s most advanced and precise missile defense technologies,” the semi-official Saudi Gazette reported on Aug. 24.
The graduating class is the third to complete the US Army’s THAAD training course at Fort Bliss, Texas, since the first class of roughly 100 personnel in November 2024. An official for the US Army’s 32nd Air and Missile Defense Command confirmed the graduation to Al-Monitor but provided no further details, directing Al-Monitor to the US Missile Defense Agency. A spokesperson for the MDA declined to comment.
Why it matters: The Pentagon’s progress in strengthening Riyadh’s ability to defend its own airspace is far behind what policy planners have hoped for across four US presidential administrations.
