This is the system that intercepted Iranian missiles over the UAE

After Israel and The United States launched joint attacks on Iran on Saturday, and Tehran responded with missile attacks across the Gulf, targeting US military bases in those countries. Within hours, the UAE Ministry of Defense confirmed that its air defense systems successfully intercepted several incoming ballistic missiles.

According to the ministry, the missiles were destroyed before they hit. However, debris from one of the interceptors fell in Abu Dhabi, killing one civilian. Abu Dhabi is located near several strategic military installations, including Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts Emirati and American forces.

For many residents, the event was a series of distant flashes and muffled explosions in the sky. However, behind those brief moments lies a complex network of radars, interceptors and command systems designed to detect, track and destroy ballistic missiles moving at hypersonic speeds.

Understanding what happened in those seconds means understanding how the UAE’s multi-layered missile defense network works.

The system is designed to stop ballistic missiles

The UAE’s missile shield includes multiple layers of defence, such as the high-altitude area defense system (THAAD) and the low-altitude MIM-104 Patriot.

A High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile, a PAC-3 air defense missile, and a PrSM precision strike missile at Lockheed Martin.

Photography: José Sarmiento Matos/Getty Images

The THAAD system, developed by Lockheed Martin, is designed to intercept ballistic missiles during the final phase of their flight, when they descend toward their target.

Unlike conventional air defense missiles that explode close to the threat, THAAD interceptors destroy incoming missiles through direct kinetic impact, essentially hitting them at extremely high speeds in what is known as a “hit-to-kill” interception.

The UAE became the first country outside the United States to deploy the THAAD system in January 2022, after receiving the system in 2015 as part of a multi-billion-dollar defense agreement.

Multi-layer defense network

The THAAD system is just one element of the UAE’s broader air and missile defense architecture. The country also operates the MIM-104 Patriot system, designed to intercept aircraft and ballistic missiles at low altitudes.

Together, these systems form what defense planners describe as a multi-layered missile defense architecture, giving operators more than one opportunity to intercept the incoming threat before it reaches the ground.

In a typical interception sequence, several steps occur within seconds:

• a statement: Early warning sensors and radar systems detect the missile’s launch and begin tracking its speed and expected flight path.
• Tracking and ordering: This data is transmitted to command and control networks, which analyze whether the missile threatens populated areas or critical infrastructure and determine where the interception should occur.
• objection: High-altitude interceptors such as THAAD attempt to destroy the missile in the upper atmosphere. If necessary, low-altitude systems such as Patriot provide another interception opportunity.