Raytheon [RTN] July 16 said it received a $235.5 million contract for Radar Digital Processor (RDP) kits to upgrade the combat-proven Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for the United States and two partner nations.
The contract released by the Pentagon said 72 of the RDP kits will be procured, with 62 for the United States, and 10 under foreign military sales to Kuwait and the Netherlands. The firm-fixed price contract includes procuring spares. The work is expected to be completed by March 31, 2017.
The full-rate production contract for the United States is expected to provide improved capability, reliability and reduce costs, Raytheon said in a statement.
The RDP kits will provide improved target detection and identification, enhanced surveillance, and support for the PAC-3 MSE missile.
There will be a 40 percent gain in overall radar reliability due to increased Mean Time Between Failure.
The kits also will reduce costs by decreasing the number of battery replaceable units from 759 to 56, substantially trimming spares and maintenance costs over the life of the system.
“These RDP upgrades are yet another example of how we continue to advance Patriot technology to stay ahead of evolving threats,” said Ralph Acaba, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems business. “All of our 12 Patriot partners participate in prioritizing these enhancements and funding them through the Patriot International Engineering Services Program.”
The work under this contract will be performed at Raytheon’s Integrated Air Defense Center, Andover, Mass., supported by the global team of Patriot system suppliers.