Army Technology.com:
Lockheed Martin will provide its new army missile defense sensor, in response to the US Army’s request for information regarding the lower tier air and missile defense sensor (LTAMDS) acquisition program.
The LTAMDS programme aims to upgrade or replace the current Patriot radar to improve the operational effectiveness against emerging threats.
The new sensor is required to meet mobility and transport ability requirements, as well as improve reliability, availability and maintainability at a defined cost target.
Operating in the army’s integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) network, the radar technology will address the operational and logistic deficiencies of the Patriot.
Lockheed Martin air and missile defense vice-president Tim Cahill said: “With this request for information, the army recognises that a new radar is required to meet the current and emerging air and missile defence threats.
“This is an important milestone, another clear indication that the army recognises the ageing Patriot weapon system is insufficient to meet modern air and missile defence operational requirements.”
Lockheed Martin is said to be the only company to produce active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars for the army, as well as manufacture and export gallium nitride (GaN)-based AESA radars.
