LTAMDS air and missile defence radars for Kuwait
Kuwait ← 
United StatesDeal progress
Current status: Sale approved — latest milestone in 2026. Not every deal goes through every stage; a government sale approval, for example, applies only in some supplier countries.
Deal details
Kuwait is acquiring LTAMDS air and missile defence radars from the United States, with Raytheon named as the manufacturer. It is classed under air defence. The announced quantity is up to 8 radars, and the value is put at $8 billion.
The supplier government approved the sale in 2026. Approval is not a signed contract, and the quantity and value may change once one is concluded.
Details: Emergency approval on 19 March 2026.
What is the LTAMDS radar?
LTAMDS, the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, is a new-generation radar developed by Raytheon, part of US group RTX, to replace the AN/MPQ-65 that has served in the Patriot system for decades. The US Army picked Raytheon’s design in 2019 after a competition among several companies and ordered six units at the time for development and testing.
The radar completed eight successful flight tests before it was cleared for production. Low-rate initial production began in early 2025, with full-rate production due by 2028. In September 2025 the US Army awarded Raytheon a $1.7 billion contract covering nine radars for the United States and Poland, the system’s first international customer.
How it works and what sets it apart
The radar has three active electronically scanned array antennas: a main array at the front and two secondary arrays at the rear. Where the old radar covers a limited forward sector, this layout gives full 360-degree coverage, so it can track multiple threats coming from different directions at once. Raytheon says the main array is roughly the size of the current Patriot radar’s antenna but has more than twice its power.
LTAMDS is designed to deal with advanced threats, including hypersonic weapons, and relies on Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) to share target data with other sensors and launchers. At the same time it stays compatible with existing Patriot components, so Patriot users can upgrade the radar without replacing the whole battery. Raytheon says more than 12 countries have asked for briefings on the radar. In September 2025 Poland’s WZE became the programme’s first international supplier, with a contract to produce its power storage units.
Key specifications
| Role | Air and missile defence radar for the Patriot system |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Raytheon (RTX, United States) |
| Antennas | 3 active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) |
| Coverage | 360 degrees |
| Replaces | AN/MPQ-65 radar |
| Start of initial production | 2025 |
| First international customer | Poland |
