Raytheon said Friday its Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle played a key role in the successful GBI test over the Pacific Ocean.

In Friday's test, a Raytheon-built EKV successfully destroyed its ballistic missile target in space over the eastern Pacific Ocean.

"While communicating with ground sensors, the EKV detected, tracked and discriminated the target," the company said in a statement.

"This highly successful test of the GMD system once again demonstrates Raytheon's commitment to performance and reliability," said Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. "We continue to prove the maturity of our kill vehicle technology and our ability to provide this critical capability to the nation."

Raytheon said that during the flight, the EKV calculated its own position utilizing the positions of the stars. The EKV then chose an aim-point and was able to position itself for a direct hit, striking the target at a closing velocity of more than 18,000 mph, the company said.

Raytheon said that in a first successful exercise in GMD integrated performance, the company's AN/TPY-2 X-Band Radar locked on to the target soon after launch from its location in Juneau, Alaska, and then transmitted regular tracking data to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Ballistic Missile Defense System.

Raytheon said its Upgraded Early Warning Radar, at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., monitored the target long-range ballistic missile as it flew downrange. The company's X-Band Radar, on the Sea-based X-band radar array, was also involved in monitoring the target missile, it said.

"The UEWR, SBX and AN/TPY-2 performed as expected, demonstrating their missile defense capabilities," said Pete Franklin, vice president, National and Theater Security Programs for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "This test confirms all three radars' ability to provide integrated information to the BMDS (Ballistic Missile Defense System) in support of an intercept."

Raytheon wins $7.4M contract to upgrade 166 PAC-2s to GEM-T
Raytheon said Thursday it has won a contract to boost the capabilities of 166 Patriot PAC-2 missiles for the U.S. Army to intercept and destroy ballistic and cruise missiles.

The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., approved the $77.4 million contract to upgrade 166 Patriot Advanced Configuration-2 missiles to Guidance Enhanced Missiles-Tactical, the company said in a statement.

"Upgrading Patriot PAC-2 missiles to GEM-Ts ensures that the Army and our other Patriot partners have the capability to defend against advanced air-breathing and tactical ballistic missiles," said Skip Garrett, vice president and deputy for Patriot Programs at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.

"Raytheon remains dedicated to continuously improving Patriot hardware and software to ensure that Patriots can defeat all known and potential threats," Garrett said.

Raytheon said the upgrade operations would be performed at Raytheon IDS' Integrated Air Defense Center in Andover, Mass., and that they should be completed by the end of August 2011.