Latest news with #SM3
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
150 THAAD Ballistic Missile Interceptors Fired By U.S. During Iran's Barrages On Israel: Report
The U.S. Army reportedly fired over 150 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile interceptors to help defend Israel during its 12-day war with Iran earlier this year. If accurate, this would represent roughly a quarter of all THAAD interceptors ordered and/or set to be ordered by the U.S. military to date, according to Pentagon budget documents. Questions about the effectiveness of ship-launched Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors have also emerged from the U.S. Navy's employment of around 80 of them during the recent Israel-Iran conflict. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the U.S. military expenditures of THAAD and SM-3 interceptors, citing unnamed U.S. officials. American forces also employed ground-based Patriot surface-to-air missile systems and ship-launched SM-2 and SM-6 missiles during the Israel-Iran war in June. Israel's own extensive air and missile defense capabilities were also heavily engaged during that conflict. 'Operating alongside Israeli systems, THAAD operators burned through munitions at a furious clip, firing more than 150 missiles to shoot down the waves of Iranian ballistic missiles, according to U.S. officials,' per the Journal's story. 'That is nearly a quarter of the interceptors ever purchased by the Pentagon.' The U.S. military's 2026 Fiscal Year budget request, which was rolled out in June, says the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has received funding for 646 THAAD interceptors to date, though it has not taken delivery of all of those missiles. That total also doesn't include U.S.-facilitated orders for foreign customers. Some number of U.S. interceptors have been expended during test and training activities over the years, as well. MDA is asking for funds to buy 25 more, at a cost of around $15.5 million each, in the next fiscal cycle. The agency's proposed budget also notes it expects to receive 12 more THAAD interceptors paid for with money included in a reconciliation funding bill, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law earlier this month. MDA manages the THAAD program, though the actual units that are equipped with the system are operated by the Army. When the conflict between Israel and Iran first erupted, the Army had seven operational THAAD batteries, two of which were reportedly forward-deployed in Israel. During the fighting, manufacturer Lockheed Martin announced it had delivered 'the Minimum Engagement Package' for a long-planned eighth battery. A typical THAAD battery consists of between six and nine road-mobile launchers, each of which can be loaded with up to either interceptors at a time, as well as an AN/TPY-2 radar and other supporting assets. 'The demand [for THAAD] was so staggering that at one point, the Pentagon considered a plan to divert interceptors purchased by Saudi Arabia to the systems in Israel, one official said,' the Journal's report adds. 'The discussions were sensitive, because the kingdom's cities and oil installations were also considered at risk during the conflict.' U.S. authorities first announced the approval of a massive prospective sale of THAAD systems, as well as interceptors and other ancillary items, valued at just over $15 billion, to Saudi Arabia in 2017. The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense announced the formal inauguration of the country's first THAAD battery just earlier this month. THAAD is also in service with the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2022, the UAE became the first country to employ the system against a real-world threat in the form of a ballistic missile launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. U.S. Navy 'warships also went through interceptors at an alarming rate, the acting chief of naval operations, Adm. James Kilby, said on Capitol Hill in June. During the 12-day war, the ships shot about 80 SM-3s at Iranian threats, according to a U.S. official,' the Journal reported. 'There also are concerns in the Pentagon that the SM-3s, first used in combat last year, also to counter an Iranian attack, didn't destroy as many targets as expected, according to two defense officials. The military now is carefully looking through each launch to better understand what happened. A Navy officer involved in the process said it is premature to judge SM-3 engagements.' Concerns about the U.S. military's relatively limited inventory of SM-3s had already emerged after those missiles were used to help protect Israel from Iranian missile attacks last year. In May, the manufacturer of those interceptors, Raytheon, received a new contract worth $1 billion to produce additional Block IB variants. MDA, which also manages the SM-3 program, had previously moved to stop buying Block IBs entirely in favor of more capable but also much more expensive Block IIA versions of the missile. The unit price for the Block IB is around $12.5 million, while the price tag on a single Block IIA is currently around $37 million. When it comes to the SM-3's combat performance, more context would be necessary to assess what issues the interceptors may have encountered. However, it is worth noting that Iran employed a number of ballistic missile types for the first time in combat during the war in June, including ones with features claimed to be designed to defeat missile defenses, as well as ones with cluster munition payloads. The Wall Street Journal's story further highlights how the expenditures of SM-3s and other ship-launched interceptors underscore the U.S. Navy's continued and increasingly worrisome lack of any operational means of reloading the vertical launch system cells on its warships at sea. Currently, Navy warships have to return to a friendly port, which may be days or weeks away from their operating area, to rearm. This creates vulnerabilities for the ships in question, which have to make those transits with what could be very limited available munitions for self-defense, and presents issues when it comes to overall operational capacity and flexibility. The Navy is now pushing to develop and field an at-sea reloading capability, and just recently conducted another test in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia as part of a large-scale exercise earlier this month. In general, slotting canisterized missiles into launch cells on ships at sea, which are bobbing up and down and rocking from side to side, even in relatively calm waters, is a complex affair. All of this speaks to growing concerns within the U.S. military about how commitments in the Middle East, as well as ongoing support to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, are eating into stocks of air defense interceptors and other critical munitions. The ability, or lack thereof, of the U.S. industrial base to bolster munitions stockpiles and sustain those deliveries during a major conflict has also become increasingly worrisome in recent years. THAAD and SM-3 interceptors would be in even greater demand during a high-end fight against China in the Pacific. The threat of Chinese ballistic missiles is only growing by the day. With all this in mind, it is worth pointing out that, based on the Pentagon's Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, it could take the U.S. military four years just to secure the funding to replace all the THAAD interceptors reportedly fired in June. There would be a years-long lag between the placement of any orders and actual deliveries, as well. As an example, MDA is expecting to begin receiving its 13th lot of THAAD interceptors in early 2027, five years after the contract award for those missiles. Lockheed Martin is in discussions now with the U.S. military about expanding THAAD interceptor production capacity to up to 100 missiles per year, according to The Wall Street Journal, but that would take time to implement, as well. Whatever steps the U.S. military may take going forward to assure it has adequate inventories of key munitions, the Journal's report today points to current stockpiles of THAAD interceptors, in particular, being worryingly unsustainable. Contact the author: joe@
Malaysian Reserve
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Malaysian Reserve
Texas Instruments plans to invest more than $60 billion to manufacture billions of foundational semiconductors in the U.S.
Leading U.S. companies Apple, Ford, Medtronic, NVIDIA and SpaceX strengthen partnerships with TI to unleash the next era of American innovation NEWS HIGHLIGHTS: More than $60 billion investment includes seven U.S. semiconductor fabs across three manufacturing mega-sites in Texas and Utah supporting more than 60,000 new U.S. jobs Largest investment in foundational semiconductor manufacturing in U.S. history, building on TI's almost-100-year legacy TI's largest mega-site in Sherman, Texas includes investment of up to $40 billion dollars for four fabs: SM1 and SM2 – already underway – and two additional fabs, SM3 and SM4 Leverages TI's strengths as a global technology and manufacturing leader to advance critical innovations from vehicles to smartphones to data centers DALLAS, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Texas Instruments (TI) (Nasdaq: TXN) today announced its plans to invest more than $60 billion across seven U.S. semiconductor fabs, making this the largest investment in foundational semiconductor manufacturing in U.S. history. Working with the Trump administration and building on the company's nearly 100-year legacy, TI is expanding its U.S. manufacturing capacity to supply the growing need for semiconductors that will advance critical innovations from vehicles to smartphones to data centers. Combined, TI's new manufacturing mega-sites in Texas and Utah will support more than 60,000 U.S. jobs. 'TI is building dependable, low-cost 300mm capacity at scale to deliver the analog and embedded processing chips that are vital for nearly every type of electronic system,' said Haviv Ilan, president and CEO of Texas Instruments. 'Leading U.S. companies such as Apple, Ford, Medtronic, NVIDIA and SpaceX rely on TI's world-class technology and manufacturing expertise, and we are honored to work alongside them and the U.S. government to unleash what's next in American innovation.' 'For nearly a century, Texas Instruments has been a bedrock American company driving innovation in technology and manufacturing,' said U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. 'President Trump has made it a priority to increase semiconductor manufacturing in America – including these foundational semiconductors that go into the electronics that people use every day. Our partnership with TI will support U.S. chip manufacturing for decades to come.' Unleashing what's next in American innovation Today, TI is the largest foundational semiconductor manufacturer in the U.S., producing analog and embedded processing chips that are critical for smartphones, vehicles, data centers, satellites and nearly every other electronic device. In order to meet the steadily growing demand for these essential chips, TI is building on its legacy of technology leadership and expanding its U.S. manufacturing presence to help its customers pioneer the next wave of technological breakthroughs. Igniting intelligence with Apple 'Texas Instruments' American-made chips help bring Apple products to life, and together, we'll continue to create opportunity, drive innovation, and invest in the future of advanced manufacturing across the U.S.,' said Apple's CEO Tim Cook. Fueling the future with Ford Ford and TI are working to strengthen American manufacturing, combining Ford's automotive expertise with TI's semiconductor technology to help drive innovation and secure a robust, domestic supply chain for the future of mobility. 'At Ford, 80% of the vehicles we sell in the U.S. are assembled in the U.S., and we are proud to stand with technology leaders like TI that continue to invest in manufacturing in the U.S.,' said Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company. Connecting patient care with Medtronic Medtronic and TI are partnering to improve lives when it matters most. 'At Medtronic, our life-saving medical technologies rely on semiconductors to deliver precision, performance, and innovation at scale,' said Geoff Martha, Medtronic chairman and CEO. 'Texas Instruments has been a vital partner – especially during the global chip shortages – helping us maintain supply continuity and accelerate the development of breakthrough therapies. We're proud to leverage TI's U.S.-manufactured semiconductors as we work to transform healthcare and improve outcomes for patients around the world.' Advancing AI with NVIDIA NVIDIA is partnering with TI to unleash the next generation of artificial intelligence architectures. 'NVIDIA and TI share the goal to revitalize U.S. manufacturing by building more of the infrastructure for AI factories here in the U.S.,' said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. 'We look forward to continuing our collaboration with TI by developing products for advanced AI infrastructure.' Securing high-speed satellite internet with SpaceX SpaceX is increasingly leveraging TI's high-speed process technology to connect its Starlink satellite internet service with TI's latest 300mm SiGe technology manufactured in Sherman, Texas. 'Our fundamental mission is to revolutionize global connectivity and eliminate the digital divide. Core to this mission is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible,' said Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO of SpaceX. 'SpaceX is manufacturing tens of thousands of Starlink kits a day – all right here in the U.S. – and we are making huge investments in PCB manufacturing and silicon packaging to expand even further. TI's U.S.-made semiconductors are crucial for securing a U.S. supply chain for our products, and their advanced silicon manufacturing capabilities provide the performance and reliability needed to help us meet the growing demand for high-speed internet all around the world.' Backed by the strength of TI's U.S. manufacturing presence TI is a driving force behind the return and expansion of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. The company's more than $60 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing includes building and ramping seven, large-scale, connected fabs. Combined, these fabs across three manufacturing mega-sites in Texas and Utah will manufacture hundreds of millions of U.S.-made chips daily that will ignite a bold new chapter in American innovation. Sherman, Texas: SM1, TI's first new fab in Sherman will begin initial production this year, just three years after breaking ground. Construction is also complete on the exterior shell of SM2, TI's second new fab in Sherman. Incremental investment plans include two additional fabs, SM3 and SM4, to support future demand. Richardson, Texas: TI's second fab in Richardson, RFAB2, continues to ramp to full production and builds on the company's legacy of introducing the world's first 300mm analog fab, RFAB1, in 2011. Lehi, Utah: TI is ramping LFAB1, the company's first 300mm wafer fab in Lehi. Construction is also well underway on LFAB2, TI's second Lehi fab that will connect to LFAB1. Learn more Press kit (includes images, video b-roll and fact sheet) Additional press kits (Sherman, Texas, Lehi, Utah, and Richardson, Texas) About Texas Instruments Texas Instruments Incorporated (Nasdaq: TXN) is a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures, and sells analog and embedded processing chips for markets such as industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment and enterprise systems. At our core, we have a passion to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors. This passion is alive today as each generation of innovation builds upon the last to make our technology more reliable, more affordable and lower power, making it possible for semiconductors to go into electronics everywhere. Learn more at
