Kraków 2023-09-13
LTAMDS GhostEye radar for the Patriot system.
On September 6, 2023, it was announced that the Polish Army is the first foreign recipient of the LTAMDS (Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor) radar. The radar is a complement to the combat-proven PATRIOT missile system, which has already been acquired by the Polish Army. The LTAMDS radar is a new generation air and missile defense radar, providing greater effectiveness in the fight against a range of threats, from manned and unmanned aircraft to cruise missiles, ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
The Minister of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak, called the acquisition of the radar a step forward towards increasing Poland’s defense and security. The Republic of Poland became the first international customer to increase its air and anti-missile defense capabilities in the "WISŁA" system by introducing 12 lower-level anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense radars (LTAMDS) and acquiring 48 Patriot launchers. Importantly, in Poland the radar has one Polish element; is placed on the platform of a Jelcz car, which provides the system with appropriate mobility. In the first stage of the "WISŁA" program, Poland purchased four Patriot missile units. In the next stage, 48 Patriot launchers were ordered.
The radar is manufactured by Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a company owned by RTX. The LTAMDS radar is the first element of the family of radars that Raytheon has named GhostEye. Raytheon’s partnership with the Polish Armaments Industry played a role in Phase One of the "WISŁA" program, and nine Polish suppliers contributed to the Patriot system. With the introduction of the LTAMDS radar, Poland complemented the Patriot system with increased range and full 360-degree range, increasing its detection and defense capabilities. The implemented program enables Polish industry partners, including members of the PGZ group (Polish Armaments Group), to receive technology, equipment and training in the production and maintenance of LTAMDS radar components. These partners have the opportunity to become an integral part of the global LTAMDS radar supply chain. It should be remembered that currently (2023) the Patriot system is used in the air defense of 19 countries.
The LTAMDS radar represents the next generation of air and missile defense radars intended for the US military. This active, electronically scanned gallium nitride (GaN) radar from Raytheon provides effectiveness against a variety of threats, from manned and unmanned aircraft to cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonic missiles. The radar tracks targets whose speeds can exceed one mile per second, meaning nothing will escape radar’s attention, which is flying very fast these days. This is very important in defense against cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles, such as the Iskander and Kindzhal missiles produced by the Moscow state. The LTAMDS radar has three antenna arrays; main system at the front and two additional systems at the rear. The antennas work together to detect and eliminate multiple threats from any direction simultaneously.
The LTAMDS station was created to enable the detection of the most difficult targets, including high-performance ballistic missiles, as well as a wide range of aerodynamic objects: airplanes, helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles. The radar uses one main antenna and two active electronically scanned array (AESA) rear side antennas based on gallium nitride (GaN) technology, providing 360-degree coverage. The radar has more than twice the power of the one used so far. The unprecedented increase in radar performance was made possible by the use of Raytheon M&D gallium nitride (GaN), a material that enhances the signal and sensitivity of the detectors and significantly increases their reliability.
The LTAMDS radar is already in production and undergoing simultaneous testing at various US administration and Raytheon test facilities. Some of the tests were conducted at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. At the beginning of 2023, the US military already had 6 LTAMDS radars. The LTAMDS radar has been noticed by air defense forces around the world, and several countries have already officially expressed interest in acquiring the new radar.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman