Raytheon to upgrade Kuwait's Patriot tech

TEWKSBURY, Mass., June 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has awarded Raytheon a foreign military sales contract to provide Kuwait with Patriot depot test equipment upgrades and support services.

U.S. company Raytheon was awarded a $36.1 million foreign military sales contract as a follow-on to an award from June 2008. Under the deal, Raytheon will upgrade Kuwait's Patriot depot test equipment to a Configuration-3.

Officials say the contract, which also includes depot test equipment training and related technical services, is part of an effort by Kuwait to ensure its Patriot surface-to-air missile defense technology is updated with modern readiness capabilities.

"This depot equipment provides an imperative aspect for the state of Kuwait to maintain continuous Patriot system readiness," Sanjay Kapoor, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems vice president for Patriot Programs, said in a statement.

"These awards for the State of Kuwait are additional indications of the continued expansion of Patriot as the cornerstone of our international partner's integrated air and missile defense systems."