Lockheed Martin, AIC Steel Celebrate THAAD Launcher Production Milestone

JEDDAH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, May 11. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control President Tim Cahill, along with the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) Assistant Deputy Nawaf Albawardi, and Wasim Attieh President of Arabian International Company for Steel Structures (AIC) recently met at AIC’s Jeddah facility to review the shared progress towards AIC’s efforts to produce locally-sourced components for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon System. During the visit, the team celebrated the first completion of locally-produced components for the THAAD launcher, highlighting the ongoing collaboration and achievements in local manufacturing.

This achievement showcases AIC’s expertise in precision welding and the effective application of advanced manufacturing techniques. It is particularly significant as it demonstrates how the two companies successfully worked to bolster manufacturing expertise, strengthening the country’s defense industrial base while establishing a second source and building resilience for the US supply chain.

“This is a tremendous milestone for the United States of America and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as our nations work to fulfill the Kingdom’s THAAD procurement,” said Tim Cahill, president, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Through this program, we’re not only supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and enhancing regional defense capacity, but we’re also generating high-quality manufacturing jobs in the United States and strengthening the American defense industrial base, a testament to the value of our partnership with AIC Steel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

“Lockheed Martin has been an excellent partner in providing the tools and training necessary to prepare and ultimately advance the localized production of such a major component of the THAAD Weapon System,” said AIC Steel President Wasim Attieh. “I look forward to working together to ensure a more secure future for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I would like also to thank the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) for their support for us during all stages of this project.”

THAAD is a combat-proven, highly advanced hit-to-kill missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles inside and outside of the earth’s atmosphere. THAAD provides a critical layer of protection against short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. THAAD’s flight test success rate and combat proven status, together with its ready-now capability, continue to drive interest from across the globe and the air defense community.