US Army splits testing phase of future missile defense radar

The U.S. Army has initiated developmental testing for its future missile defense radar, the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS), following a two-phased approach. LTAMDS, to be integrated into the Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense system, is aimed at addressing integration and supply chain challenges that arose due to COVID-19. Having received six prototypes from Raytheon, the Army will conduct testing in two stages: the first year will focus on the main radar array, while the second year (2024) will incorporate the complete system, enabling 360-degree threat tracking. This phased approach seeks to meet congressional requirements and achieve operational capability, with an Engineering and Manufacturing Development decision anticipated in FY25 for future production. Additionally, the Army plans to deploy three more LTAMDS units for the defense of Guam, procuring five systems in FY24 to cover the requirement.

Link to the full article: US Army splits testing phase of future missile defense radar (defensenews.com)