WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States is enhancing the performance of its Patriot air defense system radar, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Vice President of Integrated Air and Missile Defense Ralph Acaba said in a release on Tuesday.
"[The upgrade] enables 360-degrees of protection, while retaining Patriot's mobility and reducing operation and maintenance cost by as much as 50 percent," Acaba stated.
More than 220 Patriot fire units fielded by the United States and the 12 other Patriot partner nations will be upgraded, according to the release.
He continued that the Raytheon-developed Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar builds on the more than $150 million invested in Gallium Nitride-based technology.
The AESA Patriot utilizes three antenna array planted on a mobile radar shelter, which gives 360-degrees of radar coverage.
The release added it is a "bolt-on replacement antenna" for the Gallium Arsenide antenna.
Previously, Raytheon had completed a Gallium Nitride-based AESA Patriot rear-panel array, combined with the present Patriot radar.
