The U.S. Army has officially approved the new Lower-Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) for low-rate production, as announced by its developer Raytheon. This decision follows over 15 years of efforts to replace the aging Patriot air and missile defense system.
Initially, the Army sought to compete for a full system replacement, only to abandon those plans in favor of developing a new command-and-control system alongside a separate radar system. The LTAMDS is considered a major advancement, with Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano, program executive officer for missiles and space, stating that it “doubles legacy Patriot radar capability” and provides a 360-degree operational capability.
The LTAMDS radar is a critical modernization element for the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense system, complementing an already fielded command-and-control capability known as the Integrated Battle Command system. Raytheon was awarded a contract in 2019 to deliver prototypes over five years, and the radar underwent extensive testing to ensure its maturity before this production phase.
Following successful flight tests, including tests integrating various air and missile defense elements, the system is ready for low-rate production. The Army plans to deploy two prototype systems to Guam, enhancing the island’s air defense capabilities.
Tom Laliberty, president of Raytheon’s land and air defense systems, highlighted the project’s success, citing its unprecedented efficiency from contract award to the readiness of units for deployment. The LTAMDS completed eight major missile flight tests and approximately 10,000 hours of additional testing across different conditions.
Notably, the Army intends to produce around 10 radars in this initial low-rate production phase and a total of 94 throughout the program. Additionally, Raytheon is set to produce 12 LTAMDS radars for Poland, marking its first international customer for this system.
Production time currently stands at about 40 months per unit, but discussions are underway to reduce this to a 36-month timeline. The LTAMDS program encompasses an estimated lifetime cost of $13 billion. The radar’s initial production cost ranges from $125 to $130 million, comparable to previous versions of the Patriot radar, which were priced between $110 to $115 million.
The low-rate production phase is expected to last around 2.5 years, with initial operational testing scheduled for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026. Full-rate production is targeted for 2028, as noted by Maj. Gen. Lozano.
