Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — The Saudi Royal Air Defense Force officially inaugurated the first unit of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system during a ceremony held at the Air Defense Forces Institute in Jeddah, the Ministry of Defense announced.

The unit was commissioned into service following the successful completion of system testing, evaluation, and field training of personnel within the Kingdom.

The ceremony was attended by Lt. Gen. Mazyad Al-Amro, Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, who formally handed over the unit’s flag to the commander of the 1st Air Defense Group, marking its operational readiness.

The deployment of the first THAAD battery is part of a broader defense project aimed at boosting the Kingdom’s air defense capabilities and ensuring the protection of vital strategic infrastructure and national interests.

Previously, the Air Defense Forces had graduated personnel for the first and second THAAD units after they completed specialized training courses at Fort Bliss in the U.S. state of Texas.