伊朗于 2026 年 2 月 28 日星期六在以色列与美国发动联合攻击后，对波斯湾多地发动导弹打击，目标为与美国相关的军事基地。数小时内，阿联酋国防部确认其防空系统成功拦截了数枚飞向目标的弹道导弹（在击中前即被摧毁）。然而，至少有一枚在阿布达比拦截后的残骸落下，造成一名平民死亡。对居民而言，这场事件更像是天空中的闪光与闷响；但其背后是针对高超音速飞行威胁而运作的分层指挥与雷达系统。
阿联酋的防御网由高空层与低空层组成，高空层为 THAAD，低空层则包括 MIM-104 Patriot；此外还有 PAC-3、PrSM 等拦截能力。THAAD 由 Lockheed Martin 开发，专为末段弹道飞行拦截而设计，采「hit-to-kill」直接动能命中，不以爆炸弹头爆破。阿联酋是首个在美国之外部署 THAAD 的国家，于 2022 年 1 月成为首发国之一，并于 2015 年于一项「多十亿美元」防务协定下接收系统。两层防御可为一枚威胁导弹提供超过一次拦截机会。
作战流程通常在数秒内完成：雷达与预警系统先侦测发射，并追踪速度与弹道；指挥网路即时判定威胁是否会冲击人口区或关键基础设施；高空 THAAD 先尝试截击，必要时由 Patriot 接续。AN/TPY-2 X 频段雷达可在数百公里外追踪小型高速目标，并向指挥中心即时回传资料。弹道导弹速度可超过每小时 20,000 公里，足以在几分钟内横越阿联酋全境，因此可用时间非常短。过去超过十年，波斯湾各国已加大雷达、拦截器与指挥网投资，主要因伊朗被视为拥有中东最大弹道导弹库之一；但「成功拦截」仍不等于零伤亡，因为高空残骸可能掉回地面，并可能造成伤害。
After Israel and the U.S. launched joint attacks on Iran on Saturday, Tehran responded with missile attacks across the Gulf targeting U.S.-linked military sites. Within hours, the UAE Ministry of Defense confirmed that its air-defense network intercepted several incoming ballistic missiles before they hit their targets. One key result was that debris from one intercept fell in Abu Dhabi, killing one civilian, even though the interceptor had succeeded in destroying the incoming missile. Residents mainly observed distant flashes and muffled explosions, while behind those moments stood a layered command-and-sensor architecture designed to handle hypersonic-speed threats in real time. (Key numbers: 2026, 2, 28)
The UAE defense shield uses layered air and missile defenses: high-altitude THAAD and lower-altitude MIM-104 Patriot, along with PAC-3 and PrSM-linked capabilities. THAAD, developed by Lockheed Martin, is designed to intercept ballistic missiles in terminal descent and uses hit-to-kill direct kinetic impact rather than a proximity blast. The UAE became one of the first countries outside the U.S. to deploy THAAD in January 2022, after receiving it in 2015 under a multibillion-dollar defense agreement. The two layers give operators more than one chance to intercept a threat before it reaches the ground.
The sequence usually runs in seconds: early-warning radar detects launch and tracks speed and trajectory; command-and-control networks assess whether population centers or critical infrastructure are threatened and choose an intercept point; high-altitude THAAD engages first, with Patriot providing a second layer if needed. The AN/TPY-2 X-band radar can track small fast objects at hundreds of kilometers and stream data to command centers in real time. Ballistic missiles may exceed 20,000 kilometers per hour, fast enough to cross the UAE in minutes, so response windows are extremely short. For over a decade, Gulf states have increased spending on radars, interceptors, and command networks because Iran is viewed as having one of the largest ballistic missile inventories in the Middle East. Even with successful interception, risk remains: high-altitude debris can still fall and cause harm.