Raytheon has initiated a significant expansion of its Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) Production Facility in Andover, Massachusetts, with a financial commitment of $53 million. This development will add 23,000 square feet (approximately 2,137 square meters) to the existing site, aiming to bolster production capacity and enhance the delivery of next-generation defense technologies.
The LTAMDS radar is engineered to address advanced threats, including hypersonic weapons, and the expansion is intended to accelerate the production timeline. Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, emphasized that this investment is crucial for meeting the increasing global demand for advanced defense solutions. He assured that both U.S. and international customers will benefit from receiving cutting-edge technologies.
The Andover facility, operational since 1980, acts as the final integration hub for the LTAMDS radar and oversees testing for the Patriot air defense system. The construction for this expansion is anticipated to be completed by late 2026.
The LTAMDS radar features a 360-degree air and missile defense capability, facilitated by three antenna arrays: a primary array positioned at the front and two secondary arrays located at the rear. Together, these arrays can detect and engage multiple incoming threats from any direction simultaneously. The primary array is comparable in size to that of the Patriot system’s radar; however, it boasts over double the power.
LTAMDS is designed for seamless integration into the U.S. Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense system while ensuring compatibility with the existing investments in the Patriot system. Recently, the U.S. Army awarded Raytheon a substantial $1.7 billion contract to provide LTAMDS radar systems to both the U.S. and Poland, covering a total of nine radars. This agreement also includes engineering services, spare parts, and testing for both nations, with Poland marking its status as the first international customer to adopt LTAMDS into its air and missile defense framework.
