Raytheon Delivers First Anti-Hypersonic Radar to U.S. Missile Defense Agency

Raytheon has delivered the first missile defense radar upgraded to detect hypersonic weapons to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the company announced on May 19.

The delivery marks the 13th AN/TPY-2 X-band radar handed over to the MDA but is the first version featuring a Gallium Nitride (GaN) populated array. It will be deployed with the U.S. Army’s eighth Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, providing early warning and targeting data against high-speed, maneuverable threats.

Hypersonic weapons—capable of flying above Mach 5 and maneuvering in the glide phase—present major tracking and interception challenges. The GaN technology now integrated into the radar boosts power, sensitivity, and range, making earlier target detection possible.

GaN enables better target specificity, such as identifying when a warhead separates from a missile body or spotting decoys. The technology also reduces downtime between maintenance cycles, making the radar operational more consistently. The radar reportedly has twice the sensitivity and twice the range.

The AN/TPY-2 serves as the primary sensor for the Army’s THAAD system and can also cue other missile defense platforms like the Navy’s Aegis system and the Army’s Patriot air defense system.

The new radar is also equipped with CX6 high-performance computing software, which enhances target discrimination and improves protection against electronic attacks.

While this is the first U.S. delivery of the GaN-enabled AN/TPY-2, Saudi Arabia was the first international customer to receive it.

The MDA radar delivery comes shortly after the Army’s GaN-based Lower-Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) entered low-rate production. That radar will eventually replace the Patriot system’s current sensor.