The U.S. Army announced that operational tests of the Patriot air defense system and the new GhostEye radar or LTAMDS (Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor), which took place in November, were completely successful and the two systems worked harmoniously, without a problem and in accordance with operational expectations. The tests were conducted by the 3-43rd Air Defense Squadron of the U.S. Army, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command and Raytheon executives. During the tests, the LTAMDS successfully identified, detected and categorized a short-range ballistic missile and a low-flying cruise missile threat. On the Patriot side, the tests used PAC-3 MSE (Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement) and CRI (Cost Reduction Interceptor) missiles. The GhostEye radar was developed in response to a request from the US Army to replace the AN/MPQ-53/65 Patriot radars. It is an AESA radar with a 360° search and detection capability (in three 120° beams), greatly enhancing the Patriot’s capabilities. It is made from Gallium Nitride, a material that increases the radar’s sensitivity and ability to detect threats. The antenna dimensions are the same as those of the AN/MPQ-65. A smaller version of the GhostEye is the GhostEye-MR (Medium Range) medium-range radar, which was developed for the NASAMS anti-aircraft systems.
