Raytheon awarded radar support contract

(IDS) has awarded

a $32.7m subcontract to provide support for the X- Band Radar (XBR) portion of the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX).

Boeing is the prime contractor for the Ground Based Midcourse Defence (GMD) element of the Ballistic Missile Defence System (BMDS). SBX is a component of GMD.

Raytheon IDS will provide trained personnel for on-platform support and operation of the XBR along with radar maintenance and development of spares. The contract will run through 2007, and work will be performed at the company's Missile Defence Centre and Integrated Air Defence Centre in Massachusetts, and by Raytheon Technical Services Company on site at the SBX platform.

Raytheon IDS designed and built the XBR for the BMDS. As a primary sensor for the BMDS, the XBR performs cued acquisition, target tracking, discrimination and engagement hit assessment.

According to Raytheon, the radar will help differentiate hostile warheads from decoys and countermeasures, providing additional capability for interceptor missiles to protect troops from ballistic missile attacks. Aboard the mobile SBX, the XBR can be positioned in the ocean to support testing and provide radar coverage for possible threat missile launches worldwide.