Saudi Arabia has formally brought its first Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery into service after concluding system tests, inspections and troop training, the Ministry of Defense said. The hand-over ceremony was held at the Air Defense Forces Institute in Jeddah on 2 July, confirming the unit’s immediate operational status, according to US Central Command chief Gen. Erik Kurilla. The THAAD system, built by Lockheed Martin, is designed to intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase, adding a high-altitude layer to the kingdom’s existing Patriot and medium-range defenses. Saudi personnel completed individual and collective training at the US Army’s Fort Bliss in Texas before returning home for final certification, signalling that the battery will be operated by local crews. The battery is the first of up to seven units included in a $15 billion Foreign Military Sales agreement struck with Washington during former President Donald Trump’s first term. The package covers 44 launchers, 360 interceptors and 16 fire-control and communications centres, with additional batteries scheduled for delivery over the coming years as Saudi Arabia seeks to bolster protection of its airspace and critical infrastructure from ballistic-missile threats.