Raytheon awarded contract to maintain US Navy Sea-based X-band Radar.

According to information published by the US DoD on October 25, 2024, Raytheon has secured a substantial $900 million contract modification from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. The two-year extension will see Raytheon continue to provide operations and maintenance support for the Sea-based X-band Radar and 13 Army-Navy Transportable Radar Surveillance and Control Model 2 (AN/TPY-2) radar systems. 
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Raytheon secures a $900 million contract extension with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to support and sustain advanced radar systems. (Picture source: Dvids)

The Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX-1) remains a cornerstone of the U.S. ballistic missile defense strategy due to its unprecedented ability to detect and assess threats from vast distances, making it a powerful mobile asset for tracking and intercepting missile threats. Positioned on a self-propelled, semi-submersible oil platform, this radar provides coverage that can be quickly adapted to varying geopolitical hotspots across the Pacific, a region where missile threats from countries like North Korea, China, and Russia are a growing concern​.

The SBX-1’s high-precision X-band radar, encased within a massive radome, has approximately 45,000 transmit/receive modules, allowing it to detect and discriminate between missiles, decoys, and debris. It can track objects as small as a baseball from up to 2,500 miles away, feeding critical data back to ground-based interceptors for midcourse corrections. This data transmission occurs through the In-Flight Interceptor Communications System Data Terminal onboard, which enables real-time adjustments for interceptors and heightens the radar’s utility in ballistic missile defense​.

Operational since 2006, SBX-1 has been deployed extensively in the Pacific, often supporting defense readiness against North Korean missile tests and other emergent threats. However, recent deployments have highlighted both its strengths and limitations. While it offers exceptional tracking precision, its relatively narrow field of view poses challenges when responding to complex scenarios involving multiple missiles or advanced countermeasures such as decoys. In response, the SBX-1 has undergone upgrades and maintenance in Hawaii, addressing structural issues from its extensive 662-day deployment and enhancing its ability to support intercepts under higher demand from the U.S. Space Command and Space Force​.

The SBX program has sometimes drawn criticism for its high operational costs, which stem from its maintenance-intensive mobile platform and the need for frequent crew rotations. Nonetheless, the radar’s mobility and ability to adjust to the Earth's curvature give it a distinct advantage over land-based radars, enabling tracking over oceanic expanses and the flexibility to relocate in response to shifting threat landscapes. These advantages remain critical as missile defense analysts underscore the necessity of monitoring emerging hypersonic threats, which can travel at extreme speeds and low altitudes, evading traditional missile defense systems​.

Looking ahead, discussions around the SBX's future are ongoing, with considerations about whether additional units or complementary systems are required. Space-based sensors are also under evaluation as potential support for a more diversified missile defense network.