In collaboration with the US Air Force Research Laboratory and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Arlington-based defence contractor Raytheon achieved a milestone as the GhostEye MR sensor demonstrated operational performance in protecting air bases.
This successful integration with the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) showcases GhostEye MR’s capabilities against a range of threats, affirming its potential as a component in the evolving air and missile defence landscape.
Raytheon revealed the operational readiness of its GhostEye MR radar system following an exercise at White Sands Missile Range. GhostEye MR’s capabilities were put to the test in detecting and tracking live targets, expanding NASAMS’ capabilities against enemy aircraft, unmanned systems, and cruise missiles.
The successful communication among GhostEye MR, NASAMS’ Air Defense Console, and the Battlespace Command and Control Center during a live threat scenario showed the potential of this system.
GhostEye MR addresses the threats in the medium-range mission space, including cruise missiles, drones, and aircraft. The radar is undergoing testing and simulations for various mission scenarios.
Jim Simonds, US Air Force air base air defence programme manager, said: “This experiment showed that GhostEye MR is a viable sensor option for integrated air and missile defence. The radar clearly demonstrated its ability to be rapidly deployed and detect and track live targets precisely at longer ranges, providing increased standoff and decision-making time.”
With 22.0% of the North American missiles and missile defence systems market, Raytheon Technologies Corp is projected to be the second largest shareholder in the region, according to GlobalData’s “The Global Missiles & Missile Defense Systems Market 2023-2033” report.
President of Raytheon’s land and air defence systems, Tom Laliberty, expressed confidence in GhostEye MR’s ability. “The team’s success demonstrates that GhostEye MR can meet the needs of the US Air Force. Air bases around the world face a growing array of sophisticated airborne threats, and this exercise marked a significant step toward fielding an integrated capability for air base air defence.”
This latest achievement follows a series of successful experiments, including the air base air defence test in Andøya, Norway, demonstrating NASAMS’ engagement capabilities. GhostEye MR, a member of Raytheon’s GhostEye sensor family, continues to advance the defended-area capabilities of NASAMS, leveraging commonality with the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor.
Late in 2023, Norway acquired eight NASAMS launchers and four fire control units from Kongsberg, replacing equipment provided to Ukraine earlier this year.
