Raytheon Wins US Army Patriot Radar Replacement Competition

Raytheon Wins U.S. Army Patriot Radar Replacement Competition

(Source: Forecast International; issued October 17, 2019)

By Shaun McDougall

Raytheon has been selected to provide the U.S. Army with their next generation Patriot radar -- the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) -- that is due to reach initial operational capability in 2022. (Raytheon photo)

Raytheon has won the U.S. Army’s Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) competition, and will deliver a new radar to replace the existing AN/MPQ-65A Patriot radar. As the MPQ-65 manufacturer, Raytheon was the incumbent bidder against Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

Raytheon was awarded a $384 million contract to build, test, and deliver six production radars by the end of FY22. The contract is a “firm-fixed-price Other Transaction Authority (OTA)” agreement, reflecting the program’s status as a rapid prototyping effort. OTA agreements offer additional flexibility during the development process.

A follow-on production decision will be made after the prototypes have been delivered. The Army operates more than 60 MPQ-65 radars across 15 Patriot battalions.

Raytheon’s winning system is a Gallium Nitride (GaN) powered Active Electronically Scanned Array radar that provides 360-degree coverage. The Army actually dropped its requirement for 360-degree coverage, as the service said it would focus on integrating various sensors on the battlefield to simulate 360-degree awareness. However, Raytheon maintained the 360-degree capability in its offering.

The system will still operate within the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Network, meaning the new radar will be able to communicate with the Army’s other air defense systems. Raytheon’s radar also meets all of the Army’s mobility requirements, including the ability to fit in a C-17 transport aircraft.

Raytheon’s team of suppliers includes Crane Aerospace & Electronics, Cummings Aerospace, IERUS Technologies, Kord Technologies, Mercury Systems, and nLogic.

The Army took a somewhat roundabout approach to selecting a new radar. In 2017, the service awarded development contracts to Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Technovative Applications. In September 2018, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon were selected to proceed to the technology maturation and risk-reduction phase.

However, the Army subsequently launched a LTAMDS “sense-off,” which was technically separate from the LTAMDS program of record described above and was open to additional contractors. That “sense-off” became the focus of the Patriot radar replacement. Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and a team of Lockheed Martin and Elta System participated in the sense-off in May and June 2019.

The Army requested $427.8 million in FY20 for LTAMDS development, well above the $125.8 million originally planned. A total of $1.5 billion is set aside through FY24.

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U.S. Army Selects Raytheon for Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor

(Source: Raytheon Co.; issued Oct. 17, 2019)

ANDOVER, Mass. --- Raytheon Company has been selected to provide the US Army with their next generation, 360-degree capable radar - the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS).

Raytheon will receive more than $384 million to deliver six production representative units of the advanced LTAMDS radar under an Other Transactional Authority U.S. Army agreement. LTAMDS is a new radar that will ultimately replace the current U.S. Army's Patriot radars. It will operate on the Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense network.

"Our clean-sheet approach to LTAMDS reinforces Raytheon's position as the world's premier air and missile defense radar capability provider," said Ralph Acaba, President of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "Patriot is the world's leading, combat-proven air and missile defense system, and 17 nations have procured 240 radars from Raytheon. With the U.S. Army's approval, these Patriot partners will have the opportunity to add Active Electronic Scanned Array, 360-degree capability to their inventory, extending the life of their systems for many decades."

Raytheon's winning LTAMDS solution is a 360-degree, Active Electronically Scanned Array radar powered by Raytheon-manufactured Gallium Nitride, a substance that strengthens the radar signal and enhances its sensitivity. Over the past two decades, Raytheon has invested significantly in AESA GaN technology and advanced manufacturing capability, positioning the company as the global leader in advanced GaN technology and product development.

"For decades, we have invested in radar technology to address our customer's most pressing needs. As a result, we've developed the ability and capacity to provide the Army an advanced capability on an accelerated timeline," said Tom Laliberty, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "Our in-house advanced manufacturing capability and strong supplier network will enable us to meet the Army's urgent material release requirement."

Raytheon assembled a team of suppliers who played a strategic role in developing Raytheon's LTAMDS solution. They are:
-- Crane Aerospace & Electronics
-- Cummings Aerospace
-- IERUS Technologies
-- Kord Technologies
-- Mercury Systems
-- nLogic

Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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