PARIS, June 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has given Raytheon a $10 million contract to provide advanced airborne data processing, Raytheon said from the Paris Air Show.
"Raytheon's airborne processing technology offers real-time automated detection and tracking, in a flight-worthy package, to the MDA," said Tim Carey, vice president, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems, for Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems.
"Our onboard processors will use information from Raytheon's Multi-Spectral Targeting System sensors to detect and track potential missile strikes that could threaten the United States, its allies and deployed troops."
The airborne processors will support the Missile Defense Agency's program to examine the effectiveness of airborne multi-spectral sensors to provide forward-based, fire-control quality tracks as part of the ballistic missile defense system.
Raytheon's MTS family of sensors is being examined by the MDA to improve sensor coverage in support of the administration's Phased Adaptive Approach for the national missile defense system.
Raytheon's said its mission processing responsibilities include developing the software necessary to perform automated detection, target tracking, on-board discrimination and transfer of information to the warfighter.
Raytheon was selected for the contract award for its support of the MDA flight test performed in March. During the test, Raytheon's MTS-B sensor observed threat-representative missiles, demonstrating to the MDA its ability to detect and track missiles from long ranges using automated control.
