New satellite images from several key military bases in the Arabian Peninsula suggest that Iran is seeking to degrade air defenses by destroying US-made radars that detect incoming missiles and drones, CNN reports.

The radar system for an American THAAD missile battery in Jordan was struck and apparently destroyed in the first days of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, a satellite image taken shows. Buildings housing similar radar systems were also hit at two locations in the United Arab Emirates, CNN analysis shows.

The radar is a critical element for the high-end missile interceptor system, which is used to engage and destroy ballistic missiles as they fly toward their target. The US operates eight THAAD batteries, while the UAE operates two and Saudi Arabia one. This one was at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, over 800 kilometers from Iran.

The radar system for the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) air defense system is the AN/TPY-2 transportable radar, manufactured by Raytheon. According to a 2025 Missile Defense Agency budget, it costs just shy of half-a-billion dollars.

The image shows a pair of 13-foot craters in the sand near the radar, suggesting that it may have taken multiple attempts to hit the system, which is split across five 40-foot trailers. All appeared to be destroyed or seriously damaged. But it may not be the only THAAD radar struck in the opening days of the war with Iran.

At least three buildings at a military installation near Ruwais, and four at an installation in Sader, both in the UAE, were damaged between February 28 and March 1. Pull-through vehicle sheds used to store radar systems for THAAD batteries at both sites were among the buildings struck.