Raytheon, a business under RTX, has achieved significant technical and performance milestones with the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) during Contractor Verification Testing at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range. These tests, aimed at meeting specific objectives, have effectively showcased the radar's design and performance against both real and simulated threats.

Tom Laliberty, President of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, emphasized the critical nature of LTAMDS' strong performance in this testing phase, underscoring its importance in reaching operational capability by the year's end. Laliberty also highlighted the collaborative partnership between Raytheon and the U.S. Army, as well as their shared commitment to swiftly delivering this exceptional capability to air defense forces worldwide.

The Contractor Verification Tests involved multiple radars at WSMR and were conducted in a phased approach, increasing in complexity to assess the advanced features and capabilities of LTAMDS. Throughout testing, LTAMDS was integrated with the Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System, IBCS.

The results were impressive, with LTAMDS successfully completing 11 mission sets in various simulated operationally relevant environments. These results included the effective search and tracking of multiple targets, such as drones, fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missile surrogates. The radar maintained tracks throughout the test flights and maintained direct communications with a PAC-3 missile. The culmination of the testing involved a simulated engagement against a Tactical Ballistic Missile (TBM).

All six radars covered under the October 2019 contract have completed production and are currently undergoing simultaneous testing at various government and Raytheon test sites. These activities encompass integration and test procedures running in parallel. In 2023, events will persist, including user training and a soldier-conducted operational assessment, culminating in an Operational Capability readiness level by year-end. In 2024, rigorous testing will continue, featuring environmental and mobility qualification, as well as expanded system-of-system testing, ultimately leading to full Operational Capability in the calendar year.

LTAMDS represents the next generation of air and missile defense radar for the U.S. Army. It features a 360-degree, Active Electronically Scanned Array radar powered by Raytheon-manufactured Gallium Nitride. LTAMDS significantly enhances performance against a broad spectrum of threats, including manned and unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hypersonics.

Source:prnewswire.com