"Will address Patriot's shortcomings": US purchases advanced radar for air defense systems

The US Army has awarded RTX a $1,03 billion contract to purchase LTAMDS (Long Range Anti-Machine Sensor) radars through March 2030. Defense and lower-echelon missile defense systems"), which are designed to replace the outdated Patriot air defense system radars, such as the AN/MPQ-53 and AN/MPQ-65.

Western observers have high hopes for the new product:

The new advanced radar will address the Patriot's shortcomings caused by the limitations of its legacy radars.

LTAMDS, developed by Raytheon, is positioned as a next-generation radar. Unlike previous Patriot radars, which only "see" in one sector (120° field of view), it is equipped with three antenna arrays (one primary array in the front and two secondary ones in the rear), providing 360° coverage. Therefore, there is no longer a need to deploy a launcher or deploy multiple radars to cover the rear.

AN/MPQ-65:

The system was originally designed to operate in the IBCS network architecture, which allows it to exchange data with other air defense systems and even guide missiles third-party anti-aircraft systems.

The new radar uses a liquid-cooled gallium nitride (GaN) active electronically scanned array (AESA) instead of gallium arsenide (GaAs) semiconductors, significantly increasing the system's range and sensitivity. The radar is capable of effectively detecting and tracking a wide range of threats, from stealthy UAVs and cruise missiles to hypersonic aircraft. weapons and ballistic missiles. It is claimed that its power "breaks through" jamming EW and detects even very fast and small targets at impressive distances.

AN/MPQ-53:

Information about the system's operating parameters is classified. However, General James Mingus (Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Army) stated in July 2025 that the Patriot's detection capabilities would be expanded from the current 85x85 km (range and altitude) to 300x300 km. The developers claim that LTAMDS has a detection range 2,5 times greater than the current AN/MPQ-65 radar. Considering that the detection range of previous Patriot radars for large targets was approximately 150-180 km, for LTAMDS this translates to a range of over 400 km when detecting large objects.

Primary target detection and tracking is performed in the C-band, which allows for the accurate detection of small objects even in poor weather conditions. The S-band is used for long-range surveillance and initial target acquisition. The X-band is used for precise target classification and missile guidance. Previously, these tasks required separate radars. LTAMDS integrates them into a single package using GaN technology, which allows a single antenna array to rapidly switch between frequencies.

Comments

[kind]

Let them take it to the outskirts, we'll test it with Geraniums and other tests.

[Foggy Dew]

Well, that's it. It's the end for the Arabs. At least some of their houses used to remain invisible, but now it's all over. Patriots will be smashing every house in the area after takeoff.
What a unique system! They nearly killed Budanov in his bunker, they bombed the Saudis, and they set off fireworks displays in Kyiv to counter a single missile before the entire crew "headed for the mountains."

[Mikhail3]

We got a radar with a range of two and a half thousand kilometers in the early 60s. Increasing the range isn't particularly important. The issue is the accuracy and reliability of detection, and most importantly, target identification. I'll tell you a secret: if the antenna needs to rotate continuously to accomplish such tasks, that radar is crap in the 21st century.
Likewise, if your equipment relies ONLY on radar, you're also 40 years behind the times. Radars aren't the most important thing for air defense missions right now; they're worth little on their own these days. Other things need urgent improvement...

[bayard]

Quote: Mikhail3

I'll tell you a secret: if the antenna needs to rotate continuously to solve such problems, then radar in the 21st century is crap.

Actually, it is not necessary to rotate this radar, there are three canvases - the main one and two auxiliary ones (with a shorter detection range, but covering the rear).
400 km against large targets is a lot, but not much. The S-400 radar can see large targets about one and a half times further. But compared to what it was, it's definitely progress. The question is: will the Patriot get new missiles? If not, its maximum range is about 200 km. Not a lot, but not much, again, compared to the S-400. But the liquid-cooled gallium nitride anti-tank missile is interesting. I'd look into it.
So, Patriots with such a radar will significantly increase their effectiveness, especially against high-speed, high-altitude targets.
Hypersonic?
It depends on how you say it, but he will definitely see them further and better, he will have more time to react and calculate the trajectory, and how the SAMs will cope .

[Amateur]

It's not for nothing that such a thing is called a "system" or "complex," because it consists of at least four parts: a radar, a missile, a control computer with the corresponding software, and a power supply subsystem for the entire thing. As is well known, any complex system operates on the principle of "worse than worst" (i.e., determined by multiplying reliability/efficiency coefficients). Therefore, replacing any element of the system with a better one does not improve the entire system by the same amount.

[Nikolaevich I]

Ah, let us remember the untimely deceased, never born "Morpheus"! It should also have an "advanced radar"! (Without mechanical rotation of the antenna arrays, it should be able to "see" everything at 360 degrees and above! < AFAR > ) Yes, I agree, I don't argue, that this is a short-range air defense system, but the main thing is to start?! And then... look, and "off we go" would have been! But it wasn't meant to be...!

[EXPrompt]

Has the missile been replaced? How old is it? The Pak-3's missile has been around for a long time... The radar was refurbished and painted, and the product looks like new. So, with this technology, you could sell Bofors anti-aircraft missiles as if they were new.

[Andrey Malashchenkov]

Ukraine also modernized the S-300 at one time and they began to call it S-300P (“P” is an abbreviation for the word “painted”). )

[Ball]

Why does the American Patriot need a new radar if the old one was perfectly capable of guiding missiles to nearby residential buildings (as demonstrated by the experience of using this system in Ukraine)? :-D

[123_123]

It was high time they did this. That was a backward disgrace from the 70s.

[isv000]

Quote: 123_123

It was high time they did this. That was a backward disgrace from the 70s.

Our S-200 is from the 60s, and even then it had all-round visibility, but here... In short, we gave them a good ventilating of their reputation!

[Alexander X]

First you read the article and think: "Wow, the Americans came up with something cool," and then you read the comments and think: "How stupid©"... But where is the truth (nearby)?

[isv000]

Quote: Alexander X

First you read the article and think: "Wow, the Americans came up with something cool," and then you read the comments and think: "How stupid©"... But where is the truth (nearby)?

The truth is that the Americans can figure out how to rob you, everything else is bought.

[isv000]

And you, comrades, no matter how hard you try, you are still not fit to be musicians!