DID Press: Pentagon analysts have revealed that the price of a single THAAD radar system is equivalent to the cost of thousands of Shahed‑136 drones.
Estimates from U.S. defense officials place the price of each THAAD radar between $220 million and $300 million. Considering the Shahed‑136 drone costs roughly $30,000 each, a single radar equates to approximately 7,333 to 10,000 drones.
A full THAAD battery can cost $1–2 billion or more, corresponding to the value of roughly 33,000 to 66,000 Shahed‑136 drones.
This stark disparity highlights the economic pressures in a war of attrition, where expensive defense systems are deployed to counter comparatively inexpensive threats.