Raytheon’s GhostEye Perfectly Tracks High-speed Cruise Missile And Completes Live-Fire Test

Raytheon has reached a milestone in missile defense with the successful live-fire test of its Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS). During the test, the system detected and tracked a high-speed cruise missile, guiding a Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) GEM-T interceptor to neutralize the simulated threat.

According to Raytheon, this latest test is part of an extensive U.S. Army program designed to validate LTAMDS’s capabilities. The radar system, which is part of the GhostEye family, features three antenna arrays—one primary at the front and two secondary at the back—enabling simultaneous threat detection and engagement from all directions.

Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, highlighted the importance of this milestone, stating, “LTAMDS will further enhance Patriot’s unmatched air defense capabilities, helping the Army and customers around the globe defend against increasingly complex threats.”

Raytheon has been conducting a series of live-fire events to test the system’s integration with the Army’s broader Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) architecture. These tests have progressively increased in complexity, stressing the radar’s ability to handle real-world threats. The program remains on track for Milestone C—transitioning from development to production—by the second quarter of FY2025.

LTAMDS has garnered significant international interest, with over a dozen countries requesting briefings on its capabilities. Poland became the first international customer through a U.S. Army contract exceeding $2 billion, allowing the country to integrate LTAMDS into its air defense systems.

Additionally, in January, the Netherlands secured a $529 million contract for a Patriot fire unit, supporting replenishment efforts for equipment donated to Ukraine.