RTX receives US Defense funding for NASAMS GhostEye MR radar development and experimentation
Raytheon, a subsidiary of RTX, has secured a $7 million contract to advance the development and evaluation of its GhostEye MR radar. This sophisticated medium-range sensor is intended for integration into the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), and this marks the initial government contracts for the GhostEye MR radar. Raytheon had independently designed and developed this multi-mission radar through internal research and development investments. The funding from these contracts will be utilized to further the radar’s development and facilitate operational assessment activities at the White Sands Missile Range later this year.
Tom Laliberty, the President of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, emphasized the growing importance and global demand for the GhostEye MR radar’s capabilities. He expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with the Department of Defense (DoD), the Air Force, and Kongsberg to demonstrate the radar’s effectiveness against a range of emerging threats.
The upcoming evaluation at the White Sands Missile Range will focus on assessing the operational performance of the GhostEye MR radar. During this assessment, the radar will provide valuable surveillance cues and seamlessly integrate with the proven NASAMS air defense system. This initiative builds on the success of a previous air base air defense experiment conducted by the Strategic Developmental Planning & Experimentation (SDPE) office in Andøya, Norway. In that experiment, NASAMS showcased its ability to engage and intercept various advanced aerial threats using Raytheon’s diverse missile types and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace’s Fire Distribution Center (FDC). The forthcoming operational assessment, set for September, will expand on the capabilities demonstrated in Andøya by connecting GhostEye MR with NASAMS’ FDC through the U.S. Air Force’s relevant command and control infrastructure.
The funding for these endeavors is sourced from a contract provided by the U.S. Air Force Research Lab’s SDPE office and the Rapid Prototyping Program (RPP) of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
As a member of Raytheon’s GhostEye family of sensors, the GhostEye MR radar is an advanced medium-range multi-mission radar specifically tailored for NASAMS. Introduced in 2021, this radar extends the coverage area in terms of range and altitude, thereby enhancing the defended-area capabilities of the NASAMS system. Moreover, the GhostEye MR radar shares common features with the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS), which Raytheon is concurrently developing for the U.S. Army.