LTAMDS system from Raytheon completes Army testing
NewsOctober 08, 2023
WHITE SANDS, New Mexico. Raytheon’ Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, met technical and performance milestones while completing Contractor Verification Testing at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range. Testing demonstrated how effective the radar's design and performance would be against real and simulated threats.
Multiple radars were used for the series of tests. Executed in phased increments, the Contractor Verification Tests increase in complexity, to stress the LTAMDS’ advanced features and capabilities. During testing, LTAMDS was connected to the Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System, IBCS.
The radar completed 11 mission sets across a range of simulated operationally relevant environments. Results included the effective search and track of multiple targets, including drones, fixed wing and rotary aircraft, cruise missile and tactical ballistic missile surrogates, according to a Raytheon release. Tracks were maintained throughout the test flights as were direct communications with a PAC-3 missile, culminating with a simulated engagement against a TBM.
All six radars under the 2019 LTADMS contract completed production and are undergoing simultaneous testing at various government and Raytheon test sites, conducting integration and test activities in parallel, according to the company. Events will continue throughout 2023, including ongoing user training, and soldier-conducted operational assessment, culminating with an operational capability readiness level by the end of 2023. Next year, testing will continue, including environmental and mobility qualification, and expanded system of system testing, leading up to full operational capability in the calendar year.
LTAMDS is the U.S. Army’s next generation air and missile defense radar. It is 360-degree, active electronically scanned array radar that is powered by Gallium Nitride materials, which enables it to provide more performance against the range of threats, from manned and unmanned aircraft to cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hypersonics.
