ANDOYA SPACE CENTER, Norway,
Oct. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon
Company (NYSE: RTN) has successfully flight-tested the newest
variant of the combat-proven AMRAAM® missile from the
National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS™,
surface-based system. Featuring an enlarged rocket motor and other
enhancements, AMRAAM-ER will greatly expand the NASAMS engagement
envelope with a 50 percent increase in maximum range and 70 percent
increase in maximum altitude.
The live-fire shot verified that the complete system – including
the AMRAAM-ER missile, NASAMS missile launcher, Sentinel Radar and
the Fire Distribution Center, or FDC – worked seamlessly together
to engage and destroy a target drone with a live-warhead-equipped
missile.
"AMRAAM-ER combines the guidance section and warhead from AMRAAM
with the rocket motor from the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile to
affordably boost the NASAMS capability," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, president of Raytheon
Missiles Systems. "We believe it's an ideal solution for
ground-based air defense customers worldwide."
Norwegian military NASAMS operators conducted the test. They
controlled and employed the AMRAAM-ER missile from an upgraded FDC,
proving the effectiveness of the missile when matched with the
NASAMS launcher.
Designed specifically for ground-based air defense, NASAMS is
owned by seven countries and has been used by the U.S. National Capital Region's air defense
system since 2005. Manufactured by Raytheon and Kongsberg, NASAMS
is the most widely used short-and medium-range air defense system
in NATO. In addition to the U.S., it is in service in Norway, Finland, Spain, The
Netherlands and one undisclosed country. It is also
currently in production for Oman.
"NASAMS with AMRAAM-ER gives lower-tier defenses additional
capability against threats such as cruise missiles, aircraft and
drones," said Wes Kremer, president
of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.
Raytheon completed extensive lab testing on the AMRAAM-ER in
2015, enabling the company to move forward with launcher and system
integration.
About NASAMS
NASAMS is a highly adaptable, medium-range solution for any
operational air defense requirement. The system provides the air
defender with a high-firepower, networked and distributed
state-of-the-art air defense system that can maximize the ability
to quickly identify, engage and destroy current and evolving threat
aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicle and emerging cruise missile
threats.
About AMRAAM®
AMRAAM® is a combat-proven missile that demonstrates
operational flexibility in both air-to-air and surface-launch
scenarios and provides today's military forces with enhanced
operational capability, cost-effectiveness and future growth
options/solutions. Procured by 36 countries, the combat-proven
AMRAAM® has been integrated on the F-15, F-16, F/A-18,
F-22, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado, Harrier, F-4 and the Joint Strike
Fighter aircraft. It is also the baseline missile for the
NATO-approved National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System.
About Sentinel
The Sentinel radar is the premier air surveillance and target
acquisition/tracking sensor for the U.S. Army Cruise Missile
Defense Systems program. It is a highly mobile, three-dimensional,
phased-array, ground-based air defense radar system that operates
in the X-band. It automatically detects, tracks, identifies,
classifies and reports airborne threats, including helicopters,
high-speed attack aircraft, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial
vehicles.
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of
$23 billion and 61,000 employees, is
a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil
government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of
innovation spanning 94 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art
electronics, mission systems integration, C5ITM products
and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers
in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in
Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us
on Twitter.
www.raytheon.com
Media Contact
Doug
Shores
+1.256.527.5196
rmspr@raytheon.com
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