SAUDI ARABIA GOES BIG ON THAAD: Yemen is a ballistic missile war, with proxies firing Iranian-made short range ballistic missiles at targets in Saudi Arabia and on some Arab coalition bases in Yemen. U.S. Patriot PAC-3 has performed well, but Iran has bigger missiles.

Saudi Arabia has made a billion dollar down payment on its $15 billion order for a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile system. The down payment is to enable the manufacturer to start production on items that take a long time to produce. The Saudi order is the largest ever for THAAD. The Saudis are buying 44 launchers, 360 missiles and radar and control stations for seven batteries. In addition, this deal will pay for an upgrade of Saudi radar warning and communications infrastructure as well as bases for the THAAD batteries and maintenance facilities.

Read the whole post. Here’s a THAAD test fired from Kodiak, Alaska. No launch site mentioned in this photo but you get a good look at the missile and its mobile launcher.

RELATED: Background on Yemen, its proxy warriors, its multitude of wars and its missile war in Chapter 5, Cocktails from Hell.