Raytheon’s joint land attack cruise missile defence elevated sensor (JLENS) system has demonstrated its tactical ballistic missile defense (TBMD) capabilities during a series of tests at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, US.
During testing, a total of four ballistic-missile surrogates, including two ripple-fired and two individually fired, were successfully detected and tracked by the JLENS X-Band radar during their ascent phase.
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Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems business global integrated sensors vice president David Gulla said: "This TBMD demonstration and JLENS’s other recent successes prove that the system is ready to deploy for a combatant commander operational evaluation."
US Army JLENS programme manager Dean Barten said: "JLENS’s TBMD capability, when coupled with its ability to conduct 360° long-range surveillance capability and simultaneously detect and engage threats like swarming boats and anti-ship cruise missiles from up to 340 miles away, gives commanders a powerful proven capability."
Flight profiles similar to the ones followed by hostile tactical ballistic missiles in high-threat regions worldwide were flown by surrogates during the testing.
The missile demonstrated its ability to destroy cruise missiles by tracking Patriot and Standard Missile-6 cruise-missile surrogates during separate tests in April and September 2012.
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By GlobalDataTwo developmental tests and a 14-day endurance test were completed by the missile at Great Salt Lake and at a test range in Utah, US, in October 2012 and 2011 respectively.
Equipped with a powerful integrated radar system and two tethered, 74m-long aerostats, the JLENS is an elevated, persistent over-the-horizon sensor system designed to detect, track and engage hostile cruise missiles, low-flying manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as tactical ballistic missiles and moving surface vehicles.
Image: The 74m long tethered aerostat of the joint land attack cruise missile defence elevated sensor system. Photo: courtesy photo from Army.Mil.
