Poland becomes first foreign customer of RTX LTAMDS Lower-Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensors.

Mariusz Błaszczak, the Polish Minister of National Defense, has officially sanctioned a Letter of Acceptance with the U.S. Army to enhance Poland's WISŁA air and missile defense capabilities. This augmentation involves the incorporation of 12 Lower-Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensors (LTAMDS) and the inclusion of 48 Patriot launchers. This milestone marks the initiation of the Foreign Military Sale and signifies Poland's distinction as the inaugural international customer to integrate the advanced 360-degree LTAMDS radar, developed by Raytheon, an RTX subsidiary, into its air and missile defense infrastructure
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 As a 360-degree Active Electronically Scanned Array radar powered by Raytheon-manufactured Gallium Nitride, LTAMDS delivers significantly enhanced performance across a wide array of threats, including manned and unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic threats (Picture source: RTX)

This procurement aligns with the Polish Government's WISŁA Phase 2 initiative, which builds upon the nearly completed Phase 1. Phase 1 culminated with the delivery and evaluation of four Patriot fire units, with Raytheon delivering the last two fire units to Poland earlier this year. These systems will undergo System Integration and Check-Out (SICO) in October.

Tom Laliberty, President of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, commented: "Poland's expansion of its WISŁA program will enhance the country's security and defense against a wide range of air and missile threats. With the introduction of LTAMDS, Poland will become the first country, following the U.S., to complement the battle-proven Patriot system with LTAMDS, offering extended range and comprehensive 360-degree coverage for the detection and defense against complex, highly coordinated multi-threat attack scenarios."

The success of Raytheon's deliveries in WISŁA Phase 1 was largely attributed to collaborative partnerships with the Polish industry. Nine Polish suppliers contributed various system components and elements to the Patriot system, and they are now integrated into Raytheon's Global Supply Chain. This collaboration will persist and expand with an offset program for Phase 2, including opportunities to support LTAMDS. Five Polish industry partners, all affiliated with the PGZ group, will receive technology, equipment, and training to enable them to manufacture and maintain LTAMDS components, with the goal of integrating them into the global supply chain for LTAMDS.

Patriot stands as the only combat-proven ground-based air defense capability available worldwide to counter advanced long-range cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, and a comprehensive spectrum of air-breathing threats. It serves as the cornerstone of air defense for 19 nations.

LTAMDS represents the next-generation air and missile defense radar for the U.S. Army. As a 360-degree Active Electronically Scanned Array radar powered by Raytheon-manufactured Gallium Nitride, LTAMDS delivers significantly enhanced performance across a wide array of threats, including manned and unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic threats. Raytheon is advancing the development of LTAMDS for the U.S. Army, with all six contracted radars having completed production and undergoing concurrent testing at various government and Raytheon test sites, with integration and test activities proceeding in parallel.

Defense News September 2023