Missile air defence systems play a central role in intercepting ballistic missiles amid the ongoing aggression carried out by the Israeli occupation and the United States against Iran. At the core of these systems are advanced radars capable of monitoring vast areas across the region.
Among the most significant systems currently operating around the clock are the THAAD and Patriot missile defence systems. Their radar networks in the Gulf region and within the occupied territories function as early warning “eyes”, designed to detect missile launches from Iran and send alerts that enable interception measures and allow settlers to move to shelters in sufficient time.
Since the beginning of the aggression against it, Iran has focused on targeting radar installations across the region, particularly those located in Gulf states. Some Gulf countries have acknowledged that their radar systems were indeed destroyed, while others have refrained from commenting. However, satellite imagery circulated online appears to show direct strikes that disabled several of these installations.
The destruction of these radars over recent days, each estimated to cost around one billion US dollars, has effectively blinded early warning detection systems. This has led to delays in transmitting information regarding incoming missiles launched from Iran toward the occupied territories and US targets in the Gulf.
Israeli media outlets have reported complaints from settlers about the shrinking time window between early warning alerts and the arrival of incoming missiles. The warning period has reportedly fallen from ten minutes to roughly one minute, leaving barely enough time for people to reach shelters.
The following report outlines the capabilities of the two key radar systems.
AN/TPY-2 Radar
The AN/TPY-2 radar is the central component of the American THAAD missile defence system. It operates using an active electronically scanned array within the 8 to 12 gigahertz frequency range, enabling high precision in tracking projectiles and distinguishing between real warheads, decoys, and debris resulting from intercepted or exploded missiles.
The radar operates within a multi layer defence network and performs two primary functions. The first is early detection of ballistic missiles at long distances, and the second is guiding interceptor missiles during the terminal phase of a target’s trajectory.
If the radar is destroyed, the system loses its ability to perform both functions. Without long range detection and without guidance capability, the system cannot operate. In practical terms, without the radar, interceptor missiles cannot be launched.
According to military reports, the radar can detect objects at distances exceeding 1,000 kilometres, while the effective tracking range typically falls between 600 and 1,000 kilometres, depending on the altitude of the target and its radar cross section.
Some American defence studies suggest that in early warning mode, the detection range could extend up to 1,500 kilometres, and potentially further under certain operational scenarios.
The radar also possesses significant data processing capabilities and can track a large number of targets simultaneously. It is capable of monitoring hundreds of ballistic objects or decoys at once, while updating tracking data in less than a second. This capability is crucial in missile defence operations, where targets travel at extremely high speeds.
Patriot Radar Systems
The AN/MPQ-65 radar is one of the most important components of the Patriot air defence system, particularly in countering ballistic missile threats. The radar performs detection, tracking, and interceptor guidance functions from the moment a missile is launched.
This radar was developed as an upgraded version of the earlier AN/MPQ-53, allowing it to address more advanced threats, including modern ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft.
In terms of radar range, the Patriot radar can detect airborne targets such as aircraft at distances of up to approximately 100 kilometres. Against certain ballistic missile threats, the detection range may reach around 160 kilometres, depending on the altitude and radar cross section of the target.
Technical data indicates that the radar is capable of tracking more than 100 targets simultaneously, providing accurate information on a target’s location, speed, and trajectory to the Patriot system’s control centre.
The system can also guide multiple interceptor missiles at the same time, engaging several threats simultaneously depending on the nature of the threat and the engagement scenario.
However, observations of the system’s performance during the current war suggest limitations in dealing with Iranian hypersonic missiles. While the radar can detect the missiles and initiate interception attempts, the extreme speed of hypersonic projectiles can render the system ineffective. Interceptor missiles may launch but fail to reach their targets, ultimately self destructing after unsuccessful interception attempts.
