Article Posted on : - Jan 17, 2012

Patriot missile.

TEWKSBURY (BNS): Raytheon has received $51.3 million contract from US Army to upgrade Patriot Advanced Capability-2 missiles to the Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical (GEM-T) configuration.

The US Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, issued the contract as a follow-on to AMCOM's Patriot missile continuous technology refreshment programme initiated in 2000.

"Patriot is the cornerstone of many nations' air and missile defence capabilities, and in today's budget-conscious environment, we are able to offer the US and our global partner base a cost-effective upgrade option for the most advanced combat-proven system in the world," Sanjay Kapoor, vice president for Integrated Air and Missile Defence at Raytheon's Integrated Defence Systems business said.

The Patriot GEM-T missile upgrades include the replacement of select components that increase reliability and extend the service life of the missile.

GEM-T upgrades are ongoing under existing contracts with the US and other Patriot partner nations, and are performed at Raytheon's Integrated Air Defence Center in Andover, Massachusetts.

Patriot is said to be world's most capable air and missile defence system, protecting against a full range of advanced threats, including aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.