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Proliferating threats, changing geopolitical environments, and lessons from other conflicts have led to an increase in requirements for ground-based air defenses in general, and in the Middle East region in particular. Having faced a primary threat coming from one direction for several years, Gulf nations now face missile and drone threats from a variety of directions, in turn driving the need for true 360-degree defenses.
RTX’s Raytheon business has been a leader in air defense for decades, and continues to innovate its offerings to meet emerging demands. The company’s missiles and radars have been widely adopted in the region, in addition to systems deployed by U.S. forces.
A key element of the regional air defense is the TPY-2 radar that provides long-range detection against aircraft and ballistic missiles, and which supports the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile interceptor. In addition to U.S. radars, TPY-2s are in service in the theater with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with Qatar to receive them soon. Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) is now building power production units for TPY-2, part of a determined effort by RTX to expand the supplier base to cater to growing demand.
In the medium-range defensive layer, the Patriot is the primary effector, for which Raytheon is proposing its Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor that addresses the 360-degree coverage by adding additional arrays. The sensors employ gallium nitride (GaN) technology, which significantly improves radar range and discrimination performance. Raytheon is working with UAE company Tawazun on GaN component production.
In the missile sector, Raytheon’s AMRAAM active-radar anti-aircraft missile remains a key product for both air-launched and surface-launched applications. In the latter, it forms part of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System that was developed in cooperation with Norway’s Kongsberg. In a layered air defense, the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) acts as the short/medium-range “goalkeeper.”
Oman and Kuwait have acquired NASAMS, as has Qatar, which is the first customer for the AMRAAM-ER extended-range missile. This adds the back end of the Enhanced Sea Sparrow missile to the front end of the AMRAAM.