A web of sensors: How the US spots missiles and drones from Iran

The U.S. military operates a layered missile defense network combining space-based infrared satellites, ground radars, naval systems, and aircraft to detect Iranian missiles and drones before they strike American positions in the Middle East. Key ground systems include the AN/FPS-132 radar, which detects missiles from 3,000 miles away, and the Army's AN/TPY-2 system with a 2,000-mile range, but Iranian forces recently destroyed both a TPY-2 in Jordan and an FPS-132 in Qatar. The U.S. has responded by deploying an additional TPY-2 from South Korea to the Middle East to restore coverage gaps created by those losses. Navy ships carrying the AN/SPY-1 radar system and Air Force aircraft like the E-3 Sentry and MQ-9 Reaper provide mobile coverage to compensate for damaged fixed installations and maintain defense flexibility across the region.