Review: Major damage to US missile defense

TT

Published 09.55

 

American missile defense of the Thaad type is loaded onto a military transport aircraft in Fort Bliss, Texas. Archive photo. Photo: Cory D Payne/U.S. Air Force Via AP/TT

Iran has caused damage to at least 20 American military facilities, satellite images analyzed by the BBC show.

The review indicates that the damage is more extensive than the US has admitted.

The US has been tight-lipped about damage to the country's military bases in the Middle East. The White House has also requested that the satellite company Planet Labs restrict access to satellite images of the region.

Using images from other suppliers, the BBC now finds that at least 20 American military facilities have been damaged in the war. Among other things, three of the US's eight Thaad - an advanced missile defense system - have been damaged.

“The conflict has significantly depleted the air defense stockpiles of the United States and its partner countries,” analyst Kelly Grieco told the BBC.

Tanker and surveillance planes in Saudi Arabia, as well as hangars and fuel depots in Kuwait, have also been damaged, according to the review.