Army Patriot radar processor upgrade contract won by Raytheon
NewsNovember 11, 2015
TEWKSBURY, Mass. U.S. Army officials are acquiring radar digital processor (RDP) upgrade kits from Raytheon to enhance the Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defense system's ability to detect and destroy threats, reduce operational cost, and improve reliability.
The contract modification will allow the U.S. Army to complete upgrading their entire inventory of Patriots. The U.S. Army began phasing the upgrade kits into its Patriot fleet in 2013. The contract will not to exceed the amount of $86.2 million.
The U.S. and members of the 13-nation Patriot partnership funded development of the RDP. Patriot batteries upgraded with the RDP will:
- Improve detection and identification of targets, and have enhanced surveillance.
- Cost less to maintain and operate. The legacy processor has more than 700 components, while the RDP has less than - 100.
- Have a 40 percent higher reliability rate than systems with the legacy component.
"When one country develops an upgrade or improvement to Patriot, that capability is made available to the entire 13-nation Partnership," says Ralph Acaba, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon. "With more than 220 Patriot fire units owned by 13 countries, countries whose industrial bases participate in manufacturing Patriot have a very large potential export market."
