Raytheon [RTN] said it has completed all system requirements and testing of the Upgraded Early Warning Radar at Thule Air Base, Greenland.
With this upgrade, the UEWR at Thule is ready to conduct the missile defense mission as a critical component of the Ballistic Missile Defense System being developed by the Missile Defense Agency as part of its national missile defense mission.
The UEWR provides early detection and precise tracking of incoming ballistic missiles, as well as quick, accurate determination of threat versus non-threat objects. It supports the intercept of threatening ballistic missiles above the atmosphere, while concurrently performing early warning and space surveillance missions. n
“The Raytheon-led team delivered solid program performance and flawless execution during the Thule upgrade,” said Dave Gulla, vice president National & Theater Security Programs for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. “Our ability to leverage the technical knowledge and real-world experience from the previous upgrades at Beale and Fylingdales enabled us to deliver a system that meets current and future operational needs on time and under budget.”
The UEWR program leverages Raytheon’s more than 70-year heritage of developing innovative and reliable radar solutions, which includes nearly all of today’s ballistic missile defense radars, the company said in a statement.
The UEWRs add missile defense capabilities to the Raytheon-developed PAVE PAWS and Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems radars.
Thule Air Base is the third site Raytheon has upgraded to the new UEWR configuration. Additional UEWR locations are at Beale AFB, Calif., and Royal Air Force Fylingdales, United Kingdom.