Raytheon has successfully completed a system-level guided flight test of the new-production Patriot at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The modernized Patriot provides an affordable, low-risk and rapid path to meet the warfighter's current and future air and missile defense requirements.

"The system's flawless performance using all newly-built major end items is a significant milestone for global air and missile defense. It also highlights the capability of the combat-proven Patriot and the viability of the global Patriot supply base," said Sanjay Kapoor, vice president for Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business.

"Our customers and warfighters will greatly benefit from the new designs, such as the color LCD displays with touch screens and digital track via missile guidance."

The system-level test used new-production major end items (radar, Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical [GEM-T] missile, launching station, Information Coordination Central, and Engagement Control Station) against a long-standing performance scenario to verify system capability.

In the guided test flight, the system searched, detected and tracked an air-breathing target flying at a low altitude in a high-clutter environment, which the GEM-T missile engaged and destroyed.

This scenario was specifically chosen by Raytheon and the U.S. Army for its ability to provide a rigorous test of all aspects of the Patriot system. This builds on the successful test of the first new ground-up production GEM-T missile announced last October.

Patriot is the world's most capable air and missile defense system, protecting against a full range of advanced threats, including aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. It is the system of choice for 12 nations around the globe.

Raytheon is the prime contractor for both domestic and international Patriot Air and Missile Defense Systems and system integrator for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles.