BOSTON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- A critical early-warning radar system developed for Taiwan has passed a key design landmark.
The Massachusetts-based defense contractor Raytheon said Wednesday in a news release that the Surveillance Radar program had successfully undergone a "hardware critical design review" by the U.S. Air Force Electronic Systems Center.
"This is a significant milestone for the Surveillance Radar program, which will be a central part of Taiwan's integrated air and missile warning," said Raytheon Vice President Pete Franklin.
The design review process helps establish formal baselines for the overall design of the system.
The advanced phased-array Surveillance Radar system will be used as the first step in countering any potential future attack on Taiwan from the Chinese mainland. It is designed to detect ships and aircraft as well as cruise missiles and longer-range ballistic missiles that would be the likely first wave of an invasion.
Analysts note that the radar could be integrated with an anti-missile system such as the U.S.-built Patriot or Taiwan's in-house Sky Bow surface-to-air missile in order to counter a devastating missile or air attack.
Raytheon is under a $752 million U.S. Foreign Military Sales contract to deploy the radar system in 2009, replacing older military radar currently in use.
