RTX's Raytheon conducts successful test with LTAMDS, PAC-2 GEM-T Missile

Raytheon, an RTX business, announced its Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, or LTAMDS, successfully completed another complex live-fire test, detecting and tracking a high-speed cruise missile and guiding a Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) Guidance Enhanced Missile-T (GEM-T) to defend against the surrogate threat. The milestone is the latest in a rigorous U.S. Army test program, advancing towards fielding the 360-degree, full-sector radar.

“This most recent test represents a significant milestone for both Raytheon and the Army, demonstrating the combat-proven PAC-2 GEM-T interceptor with the transformational LTAMDS radar,” says Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. “LTAMDS will further enhance Patriot's unmatched air defense capabilities, helping the Army and customers around the globe defend against increasingly complex threats.”

This was the latest in a series of LTAMDS live-fire events highlighting the capabilities of the advanced 360-degree radar and its integration with the Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense architecture. The LTAMDS program is executing to an aggressive schedule, with multiple radars being utilized for simultaneous testing and integration at various Raytheon and USG test locations.

Tests have increased in complexity to stress the radar and prove its capabilities against real and representative threat sets. Throughout, LTAMDS has met complex objectives and showcased the performance of the radar. 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 August 2024, Raytheon was awarded a U.S. Army contract valued at more than $2 billion to deliver radars for the U.S. and Poland. With this Foreign Military Sale, Poland is the first international customer to add LTAMDS to their air and missile defense architecture.