The US Army’s new Patriot radar replacement, the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS), has cleared several critical milestones during a recent missile flight test at the White Sands Missile Range.
During the exercise, the LTAMDS successfully detected, tracked, and classified an air-breathing surrogate threat through the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). The system then directed a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhanced interceptor to neutralize the simulated target.
This test marked several firsts: it was the first integration of a Large Tactical Power System with the LTAMDS, and the first time the radar engaged an air-breathing threat using its secondary sector array instead of the primary one. Additionally, it was the first operational mission employing IBCS low-rate initial production (LRIP) hardware, a key component of the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense System.
The flight test follows the Pentagon’s approval in April for RTX to begin LRIP of the LTAMDS. Looking ahead, the Army plans to add up to four new Patriot battalions equipped with the radar, expanding coverage against a broad spectrum of threats, from cruise missiles and drones to hypersonic and short-range ballistic missiles.
