Production of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s THAAD — the U.S. missile interceptor that’s spawned an international dispute with its deployment in South Korea — was quietly halted for about four months last year because of a quality problem with a part.
With 158 of the interceptors already in the U.S. arsenal out of 428 planned through 2025, the halt in production didn’t affect the system that’s being deployed in South Korea amid controversy in that country and opposition from China.