Raytheon [RTN] Wednesday said it delivered its ninth AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), six months ahead of schedule.
A high-resolution, mobile, X-band radar, the AN/TPY-2 is an integral element of MDA’s developing Ballistic Missile Defense System.
Photo: Raytheon
The radar will be integrated into the U.S. Army’s fourth Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense battery, serving as the “eyes and ears” of the system by searching, detecting, tracking and discriminating threats, and guiding the intercepting missile. Raytheon serves as one of MDA’s prime contractors for THAAD, the company said in a March 19 statement.
The radar is to protect civilians and infrastructure in the United States, deployed warfighters, and allied nations and security partners, from the growing ballistic missile threat.
U.S. public intelligence estimates indicate there are more than 6,300 ballistic missiles not controlled by the United States, NATO, China or Russia, with that number expected to reach almost 8,000 by 2020.
“Delivering this ninth radar is crucial because our nation’s enemies continue to improve and proliferate their ballistic missile technology and tactics,” said Raytheon’s Dave Gulla, vice president of Integrated Defense Systems’ Global Integrated Sensors business area. “The AN/TPY-2 consistently demonstrates its ability to pace the evolving threat, and test after test has proven it effectively defends against every category of ballistic missile.”
Raytheon is under contract to provide three additional AN/TPY-2 radars for MDA.
The company expects to deliver two of the radars to the United Arab Emirates during 2014, a company executive said in 2012 (Defense Daily, March 23, 2012).
The radar can provide long range acquisition, precision track, and discrimination of all classes of ballistic missiles. The AN/TPY-2 may be deployed globally in either terminal or forward-based mode. In forward-based mode, the radar cues the BMDS by detecting, discriminating and tracking enemy ballistic missiles in the ascent phase of flight. In terminal mode, it serves as the fire control radar for the THAAD system.