RTX’s Raytheon Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor excels at latest, most complex live fire test

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. Raytheon, an RTX business, announced on November 11 that its Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, or LTAMDS, successfully completed its most complex live-fire exercise to date, detecting and defeating a tactical ballistic missile. Achieving all objectives, the milestone is the latest in a rigorous US Army test program, advancing towards fielding the 360-degree, full sector capability this year.

This was the fifth of a series of exercises, increasing in complexity, to effectively demonstrate the radar’s performance and integration with the Integrated Battle Command System, or IBCS. A tactical ballistic missile surrogate was launched, flying at high speed and at a long range, representing a current and relevant threat. LTAMDS acquired and tracked the target, passed track data to IBCS, and LTAMDS guided a PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missile to intercept.

“The progression of the LTAMDS program has been remarkable – from a sense-off and contract award in 2019, successful testing in 2023, to the program’s planned entry into production early in 2025 – that is unprecedented for a new development program,” said Tom Laliberty, President of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. “It is a testament to a strong government-industry partnership that, together with the Army, we have designed and developed the most advanced air and missile defense radar, capable of defeating the complex threats of today and tomorrow.”

The LTAMDS program has been executing to an aggressive schedule, with the first six prototype units rotating through simultaneous testing and integration at multiple Raytheon and Army test sites. Tests have increased in complexity to stress the radar and prove its capabilities against real and representative threat sets. Throughout, LTAMDS has met complex test objectives and showcased the performance of this transformational radar. While rigorous testing continues in 2024, the program is expected to achieve Milestone C, the official transition from development to production, in second quarter of FY2025.

International interest in LTAMDS is strong, with more than a dozen countries requesting information and receiving briefings. In October 2023, the Polish Minister of Defense signed a letter of acceptance with the US Army for 12 radars. With this Foreign Military Sale, Poland will be the first international customer to add the advanced 360-degree LTAMDS radar to their air and missile defense architecture.