Raytheon, an RTX business, has announced that U.S. Army air defense soldiers successfully utilized the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) to guide Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptors in defeating surrogate cruise and ballistic missile threats.
According to a press release, this test marks a significant milestone in the LTAMDS program, demonstrating its readiness for operational deployment.
“LTAMDS continues to successfully pass each hurdle of the U.S. Army’s rigorous testing program, demonstrating its readiness for initial fielding,” said Tom Laliberty, president of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. “In this latest test, U.S. soldiers operated LTAMDS to successfully detect, track, and support engagement of a complex set of threats.”
The live-fire event is part of the U.S. Army’s operational assessment required before the program advances to full-rate production. During the test, LTAMDS integrated with the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) to provide 360-degree radar coverage. The system passed tracked data to guide PAC-3 interceptors in engaging surrogate short-range ballistic and low-altitude cruise missile targets.
The U.S. Army has revealed that using LTAMDS, the Army detected, tracked, and classified surrogate ballistic and cruise missile threats while operating in a 360-degree surveillance mode.
This achievement highlights LTAMDS’ transformational capabilities. With a primary radar array at the front and two secondary arrays at the back, the system offers 360-degree detection and engagement capabilities. LTAMDS is designed to counter advanced threats, including hypersonic and ballistic weapons, and to replace the legacy Patriot radar system.
The program remains on an aggressive timeline, with six radars undergoing simultaneous testing and integration at multiple Raytheon and Army locations. LTAMDS is expected to achieve Milestone C, transitioning from development to production, by the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.
International interest in LTAMDS continues to grow. In August 2024, Raytheon secured a $2 billion U.S. Army contract to deliver eight radars for use by the U.S. and Poland. Poland, the first international customer to incorporate LTAMDS, will integrate the system into its air and missile defense architecture as part of a Foreign Military Sale agreement.