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The Missile Defence Agency in Alabama has awarded a US$641.6 million contract to perform Ballistic Missile Defence System tests for multiple radar platforms.
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Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) unit secured the contract with work to involve planning, executing and analysing sensor performance in BMDS flight tests and ground tests. The work will be carried out in Huntsville, Alabama, and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The contract also includes sensors modelling and simulation activities to include Open Systems Architecture Sensor Model (OSM) and Open Systems Architecture Signal Injector (OSI) development and maintenance, integration of OSI with hardware-in-the-loop radar representation, integration of OSI and OSM with the simulation framework, verification and validation support.
The contract period is from 12 January 2018, through 11 January 2023, with a one-year option period provided in the contract.
The move comes as geo-political tensions across the globe heat up, with more and more countries looking to bolster their military and improve or establish intercontinental ballistic missile defence systems.
Just recently, Japan's defence budget included preparations for the construction of two ground-based radar stations that utilise Lockheed Martin's Aegis system, a new longer range interceptor, the Raytheon/Mitsubishi built SM-3 Block IIA, designed to strike ballistic missiles in space, and upgrades for its Patriot missile batteries, which are considered the last line of defence against incoming warheads.
In April last year, the Australian government announced first pass approval for the LAND 19 Phase 7B Short Range Ground Based Air Defence project as the first piece of the land-based Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) Program.
The approval included the release of a single supplier limited tender to Raytheon Australia – identified as the prime system integrator for Army’s future ground-based air and missile defence capability.
The government will invest up to $2 billion in the system, which will provide the inner most layer of Australia’s enhanced integrated air and missile capability. The capability will be operated by the Army’s 16th Air Land Regiment.
Raytheon’s proposal for second pass consideration by government will be based upon the proven Raytheon/KONGSBERG National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System capability that is fielded in seven nations, including the US. This system can utilise different launchers, radar technologies and missile types for a range of different ground-based air and missile defence missions.
