US Defense Contractor Awarded $212 Mln for Defense System Improvements

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Army has awarded a $212 million contract to provide the Patriot missile defense system with improvements in software development, systems analysis, and testing and logistics support, Patriot’s manufacturer Raytheon said in a statement.

"The US and other Patriot partner nations have made significant investments over the years, so that Patriot can maintain a high readiness rate and outpace evolving threats on the modern battlefield," Raytheon Vice President of Integrated Air and Missile Defense Ralph Acaba said in the statement on Thursday.

"This latest contract builds on those previous investments and helps ensure that fielded systems in the inventories of the 13-nation Patriot partnership are prepared to perform whenever and wherever they are called upon," Acaba added.

Funding for the Patriot upgrades is provided by the United States and 12 other countries that use the missile defense system.

Raytheon’s Patriot is an advanced air and missile defense system used against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and drones.