Lockheed Martin delivers first of 3 radars to Latvian military

March 12 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has delivered the first of three radars to Latvia, the company said Monday, calling it "a major step forward in strengthening [the country's] national defense."

The TPS-77 Multi-Role Radar, purchased for an undisclosed cost in a 2015 contract, recently completed an on-site acceptance test and will increase the Latvian air force's capacity for low-level flight surveillance and identification, Lockheed Martin said. The company said it has worked with the NATO country on its radar systems for the last 16 years.

The radar, which can be easily transported and mounted on a truck, can toggle between multiple missions at once by automatically adjusting during each 360-degree scan.

Lockheed Martin added that the TPS-77 MRR uses less power than its predecessors, increasing its lifespan and reliability while decreasing fuel costs.

"Acquisition of the TPS-77 MRR is a huge investment in the strengthening of combat capabilities of the National Armed Forces, enabling the Latvian army to address current security challenges with appropriate response tools. Surveillance, especially low-level flight surveillance and identification is a vital part of Latvian airspace surveillance capabilities," Latvia's Minister for Defense Raimonds Bergmanis said in a statement. "New MRR technology is compatible with other types of radars used by other countries."

Lockheed Martin has previously delivered three older-generation TPS-77 radars that remain operational in Latvia today, the company said.