THALESRAYTHEONSYSTEMS has just landed a $21.8 million contract from the U.S. Army to upgrade its multiple AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel air defence radar systems. This award is an option to the existing upgrade contract originally awarded in June 2007. The contract it is said will upgrade the U.S. Army Sentinel radar transmitters, receivers and exciters and increase functional capabilities such as faster data processing and greater detection range for smaller targets. Vigilance reliably gathered that additional capabilities will also help minimize instances of fratricide and accidental counter-missile firing and facilitate a transition to defence-force mobility.

Said Kim Kerry, chief executive officer, ThalesRaytheonSystems, U.S. Operations "The latest system enhancements will benefit the warfighter by providing earlier threat detection. According to Kerry it will also prepare the Sentinel for future missions such as special events protection, air traffic control and general homeland defence.

Vigilance learnt that upgrade work will be performed in El Paso, Texas, and Fullerton, Calif.

The Sentinel radar is the premier air surveillance and target acquisition and tracking sensor for the U.S. Army's Cruise Missile Defence Systems program. The radar's primary mission is to protect manoeuvre forces and critical assets from cruise missile, unmanned aerial vehicles, and rotary- and fixed-wing threats. The Sentinel accurately acquires targets far enough forward of friendly troops to provide sufficient reaction time for air defence weapons to engage at optimum ranges. More than 200 Sentinel radars are currently deployed by military forces worldwide.

ThalesRaytheonSystems was formed nine years ago and it is an international company which specialises in air defence systems, command and control systems, 3D air defence radars, battlefield and counter-battery radars. Owned by Raytheon and Thales, it has a staff strength of 1,600 people.