On Wednesday, 3 September 2025, the second day of the 33rd International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, the American company Raytheon, part of RTX, signed an agreement with Military Electronic Works (WZE), a member of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), for the production of Energy Storage Assembly (ESA) modules for Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radars, making WZE the first foreign supplier of components for the program.
Photo: Raytheon
The all-around detection capabilities of LTAMDS radars are a response to the need to counter threats typical of European scenarios, which include large-scale, coordinated attacks carried out using a variety of means, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.
“This agreement is a major step toward creating a global supply chain for the LTAMDS program,” said Tom Laliberty, President of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. “Poland is the first country after the United States to enhance its combat-proven Patriot system with LTAMDS sensors, enabling extended coverage. As a result, the Polish Armed Forces will gain full 360-degree situational awareness, allowing them to detect and defeat complex, coordinated attacks involving diverse strike systems.”
The subcontract fulfills goals set in the offset agreement with the Polish government for Phase II of the Wisła program. Through cooperation with Polish industry, Raytheon successfully executed deliveries for Phase I of Wisła.
Poland has decided to purchase 12 LTAMDS radars under Phase II of the Wisła integrated air and missile defense program, for six additional IBCS/Patriot batteries. Under the offset agreement, the Polish Armaments Group will acquire industrial capabilities to service and manufacture selected radar components. A key element of this offset package is the future Military Electronics Center (CEM), being built at the OBR CTM Naval Technology Center in Gdynia.
Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
Two production contracts have been signed, both including funding for radars destined for the Polish Armed Forces. The first production contract was concluded on 31 July 2024, with a value of 2,089,200,000 USD (8.31 billion at the time PLN). In practice, it took effect when, on 21 April of this year, RTX received approval from the U.S. Department of Defense for the so-called Milestone C, authorizing the transition from the Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase to Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP). The second production contract was signed on 28 August of this year, valued at 1,700,000,000 USD (6.219 billion PLN), bringing total funding to 3,789,400,000 USD (13.862 billion PLN). Naturally, these amounts also include orders for the U.S. Army.
LTAMDS is a three-faced, stationary radar providing full 360-degree coverage and using Gallium Nitride (GaN) Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) antennas. These capabilities enable far more effective defense against a wide spectrum of threats, ranging from crewed and uncrewed aircraft to cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic weapons. It is the successor to the sector-scanning AN/MPQ-65 fire control radars used in Patriot batteries. Compared to the AN/MPQ-65, the new radar’s antenna is 2,130 mm longer and 280 mm thinner. It also does not require side stabilizers, which reduces the space needed in the cargo hold of the C-17A Globemaster III.
The U.S. Army, in addition to six prototypes, initially planned to procure 16 radar sets, with at least 60 radars to be fielded across all 15 Patriot battalions by 2031. However, recent reports suggest a possible 25% increase, expanding to 19 battalions, which would require additional radars. Beyond the U.S. Army and Poland, several other countries have expressed interest in LTAMDS (RTX has mentioned over a dozen potential customers).