Saudi Arabia’s first Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery is now fully operational, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Gen. Erik Kurilla said on Thursday after a recent trip to the Middle East
Kurilla went to Saudi Arabia from June 30 to July 1, according to a readout of his visit, where he met with Saudi Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili.Discussions centered on shared security concerns and strengthening the military-to-military relationship, including cooperation and interoperability, according to CENTCOM.
“Gen. Kurilla congratulated the Royal Saudi Armed Forces on achieving full operational capability of their first Theater High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) system on 1 July,” CENTCOM said.
While in Saudi Arabia, Kurilla also met with the chief of staff of the Yemeni Armed Forces. The pair discussed regional threats and efforts to maintain freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Last month, the State Department approved a $3.5 billion for the sale of advanced missiles and weapons to Saudi Arabia. The agreement involves the sale of 1,000 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and 50 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM guidance sections to the Kingdom.
Washington also approved the sale of precision-guided weapon systems to Saudi Arabia in March.
