RTX has been cleared to begin low-rate initial production of the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) for the US Army.
As the future replacement for the aging Patriot radar in service since the 1980s, the 360-degree LTAMDS radar completed eight successful flight tests and achieved Milestone C to mark its production and deployment phase this year, after RTX was contracted for the program in 2019.
Programs of this scale typically take more than 10 years before production, but the US Army used the Middle-Tier Acquisition authority process granted by the US Congress to speed up the timeline for a faster fielding of modernized capabilities against emerging threats.
Tom Laliberty, President of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, called the program’s accelerated pace “an unprecedented achievement.”
“Our collaborative partnership with the US Army and our broad base of industry partners has driven the historic execution of the LTAMDS program in record time, delivering advanced 360-degree integrated air and missile defense capability,” he said.
After delivering the first six prototypes to the US Army, RTX is expected to deliver two more LTAMDS radars this year.
It plans to expand annual production from eight to 12 units to fulfill growing demand, including Poland’s $2-billion order in 2024.
Low-Rate Initial Production
The army plans to build a total of 94 radars throughout the entire program, with around 10 LTAMDS expected during the two and a half years of low-rate initial production.
Full-rate production is anticipated by 2028, Program Executive Officer Missiles and Space Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano informed Defense News.
RTX and the US Army are exploring efficient methods to reduce the production time of one software-driven radar unit from 40 to 36 months.
Each LTAMDS radar costs $125 to $130 million and “will continue to come down,” according to Lozano.
With the Patriot radar priced at $110 to $115 million a pop, the service is “building the newest, most advanced radar at almost the same exact price that we’re building the legacy radar.”
Integrated Air and Missile Defense System
The LTAMDS is part of the US Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense System, which includes the Integrated Battle Command System developed by Northrop Grumman.
It is designed to work with the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-2 and PAC-3 interceptors to neutralize advanced cruise missiles, enemy drones, and other aerial threats.
PAC-3 is part of a modernization plan by the US Army after the service scrapped the Lower-Tier Future Interceptor initiative in October 2024 due to high costs.
