Raytheon has successfully transitioned to the production phase of its Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) after completing the US Army’s flight test programme.
In November last year, Raytheon showcased the radar’s performance and integration with the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) during the fifth live-fire demonstration.
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The LTAMDS has undergone eight flight tests, each increasing in complexity to stress the system and validate its capabilities against various threats.
The testing led the US Army to confirm that the LTAMDS has reached Department of Major Capability Acquisition Milestone C, marking the commencement of production and deployment.
The system is now officially recognised as a programme of record by the US Army, supporting both homeland defence and expeditionary missions.
The US Army expedited the LTAMDS development by using Middle-Tier Acquisition authority granted by Congress, a process that typically takes over a decade to reach Milestone C.
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By GlobalDataRaytheon Land and Air Defense Systems president Tom Laliberty said: “This is an unprecedented achievement, with a development programme of this magnitude transitioning from prototype to production and deployment at an accelerated pace.
“Our collaborative partnership with the US Army and our broad base of industry partners has driven the historic execution of the LTAMDS programme in record time, delivering advanced 360-degree integrated air and missile defence capability.”
Raytheon has already delivered the first six LTAMDS units under a 2019 contract and is increasing production to meet global demand.
Currently, Raytheon is manufacturing eight LTAMDS radars annually, with plans to increase to 12 units per year.
The seventh and eighth radars are scheduled for delivery later this year, and production includes units for both the US Army and Poland, following a contract from August 2024.
The initial low-rate production is set to take place at Raytheon’s Andover facilities, with an expected completion date of 30 November 2028.
Poland is claimed to be the first international customer to incorporate LTAMDS into its defence architecture.
