THAAD missile rounds have a shelf life of ______ years

• A. 5 years
• B. 15 years
• C. 10 years
• D. 20 years

Answer: (C)

Shelf life indicates how long a missile round can stay in storage and still perform as intended when used. For THAAD interceptors, the established shelf life is ten years. This reflects that, with proper storage conditions, the solid propellant, seals, and onboard electronics stay within specification for about a decade. After that period, aging effects raise the risk of degraded thrust, misfire, or guidance issues, so stock is recertified or replaced before reaching that limit. The other durations don’t align with the certified storage period because they would either be shorter than the validated window or exceed it, requiring additional testing and risk mitigation.