TUCSON, June 12 - By Richard Tomkins (UPI)

The U.S. Navy has contracted Raytheon to remanufacture and upgrade its Phalanx Close-in Weapon System for use on Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships.

Raytheon reports it has received a U.S. Navy contract to remanufacture, overhaul and provide upgrades to Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems.

The contract is worth $115.5 million, the company said. Work on the 20mm system is expected to be completed in late 2017.

Phalanx, with a computer-controlled radar, is a Gatling gun system that automatically acquires, tracks and destroys enemy threats that have penetrated all other ship defense systems. It has an effective range of 2.2 miles and a firing rate of 4,500 rounds a minute.

Read more

8 May 2014 naval-technology.com

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has taken delivery of four additional Babcock Phalanx 1B kit modifications and two conversions of the land-based Phalanx weapon system, in the upgraded marinised configuration.

These systems form part of a contract awarded in 2006 to manage and execute all maintenance support activities, such as a 24/7 helpdesk for the Royal Navy, as well as logistics support for spares and repairable units.

Babcock has worked with Phalanx 1B systems' original equipment manufacturer Raytheon to convert the two land-based systems using their own support engineers.

Babcock weapons business development manager Martin Laity said: "We are pleased to have been able to deliver this further Phalanx capability upgrade successfully and on time, in partnership with Raytheon and the MoD, to enable the MoD and Royal Navy [to] build up the Phalanx close-in weapon systems (CIWS) capability it needs."

As part of an on-going programme in collaboration with Raytheon and the International Guns Missiles and Rockets Project Team, Babcock is also under contract to modernise 16 Phalanx systems to the 1B configuration.

Acting as the UK's primary defence for ships against the threat of anti-ship missiles, Phalanx CIWS is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled radar and 20mm Gatling gun system.

Incorporating a side-mounted forward looking infra-red camera (FLIR), the upgraded Phalanx 1B weapon system enables the CIWS to guard the ship against surface targets, while slowing air targets and anti-ship missiles.

Furthermore, the 1B configuration also plays a vital role in terms of countering the threat from small surface craft in littoral waters.

Raytheon's air missile defense radar is meant to increase detection range, according to the company. (Raytheon illustration)

Apr. 8, 2014 - By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS – Defense News

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. — With a temporary work stoppage lifted, Raytheon is working to develop its air missile defense radar (AMDR) for the US Navy’s future Aegis destroyers.

“We’re two months into the contract, but we’re more than two years into technical development,” Tad Dickinson, Raytheon’s AMDR program manager, said at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition outside Washington.

The company already has built a test array structure, a roughly 14-by-14-foot array to check fittings of the components of the electrically scanned radar, which will replace SPY-1 radars used on today’s Aegis ships.

The S-band AMDR will have more than 30 times the sensitivity of the SPY-1, and is designed to dramatically increase the fidelity of the system to track ballistic missile targets.

Raytheon beat proposals from Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to win the AMDR contract. Work was temporarily halted when Lockheed filed a protest, but the work stoppage ended in January when the protest was dropped. Raytheon and Lockheed will both work on AMDR, which will be integrated into the Lockheed Aegis system.

Raytheon is working toward the program’s first critical design review, scheduled for November. The system is intended to be installed in the yet-to-be-named DDG 124, a destroyer to be funded in 2016. Delivery of the first set of AMDR radars is scheduled for 2019, Dickinson said.

April 4, 2014 By Richard Tomkins  (UPI)

A Norwegian company has been tapped by Raytheon to provide data receiving equipment for a U.S. satellite system.

KONGSBERG, Norway-- Kongsberg Spacetec AS of Norway has been contracted by Raytheon to provide data receiving equipment for the ground segment of a weather satellite program.

The company provided no details as to the monetary value of the award but said the contract for the Joint Polar Satellite System program “has a significant potential” for extensions, maintenance/support work and technical updates.

The satellite program is to provide enhanced weather and climate reporting. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will operate the system.

Raytheon, working under a NASA contract, is the prime contractor for the JPSS ground segment.

Kongsberg Spacetec, or KSPT, said it will deliver standard products for reception of high-speed satellite data, but will also develop new systems for processing, storing and distributing the data.

“This contract, along with the contract awarded to KSPT a couple of years ago for delivery of similar systems to the European Space Agency for receiving data from Sentinel satellites, makes Kongsberg Spacetec a world-leading supplier of this type of equipment.”

Until now, Raytheon's Paveway IV precision-guided bomb was flown only on the UK's Tornado and Typhoon jets.

Mar. 30, 2014 - By ANDREW CHUTER – Defense News

GLENROTHES, SCOTLAND — Raytheon UK’s precision-guided bomb business got the shot in the arm it had been hoping for when the US Congress finally approved the sale of the Paveway IV to Saudi Arabia in February.

Company executives revealed they had signed up their first export customer for the weapon during a briefing with reporters at their manufacturing and design facility here on March 25.

The company was showcasing Glenrothes’ expanding capabilities, including a new silicon carbide wafer foundry and the near completion of a 12-month program to move work previously done at its Harlow site in southern England north to Scotland.

The Paveway IV deal came at the right time for Raytheon UK, allowing work on the new order to ramp up just as production of a British Royal Air Force (RAF) order replenishing precision-guided bombs used in Libya comes to a close.

No value has been put on the Saudi deal, but sources said it was likely about £150 million (US $247 million).

With that deal under their belts, company executives are hoping for a further boost to the weapon’s sales prospects, with the British Defence Ministry poised to decide whether to proceed with a string of spiral developments aimed at significantly expanding Paveway IV’s capabilities.

The name of the new Paveway IV export customer was omitted from the announcement, but the Saudis have been widely touted as being in on the deal.

The contract was signed by the customer in December and approved by lawmakers on Capitol Hill two months later, said John Michel, the weapons business director at Raytheon UK.

The signing came after the US State Department relented in its three-year opposition to approving Saudi Arabia’s use of the predominantly British-designed weapon for the RAF.

Michel said first deliveries to the Saudis are due in about 18 months, with the order completed in around two years.

The Raytheon executive said the US export approval should help open the way for further Paveway IV orders and mentioned Oman as one potential customer.

Oman has ordered a squadron’s worth of Typhoon jets but deliveries are yet to get underway.

The munition is integrated on RAF Typhoon and Tornado jets. Both aircraft are flown by the Saudis.

The weapon is also destined for British F-35s, opening a potentially large market among joint strike fighter operators.

The Paveway IV has a 500-pound Mark 83 warhead and features dual-mode guidance involving INS/GPS and laser guidance.

T.J. Marsden, the Paveway IV’s chief engineer, said the British MoD had also expressed an interest in fitting the weapon to RAF Reaper drones.

Completion of the latest of two top-up orders for the RAF brings Paveway IV deliveries for the British to 4,000, executives said during the briefing.

Some of the items originally built for the long-anticipated Saudi order were diverted for use on the British deliveries, significantly shortening the time the RAF had to wait to replenish depleted stocks.

Raytheon executives are now awaiting news of whether the cash-strapped British are interested in enhancing Paveway IV capabilities as part of the Selective Precision Effects at Range Capability program, known as SPEAR Cap 1.

The Defence Board, the high-level committee responsible for strategic management at the MoD, is due to decide “imminently” on the fate of the Spear Cap 1 upgrades, Raytheon executives said.

The upgrades are believed to be near the top of the list of program investments being considered by the Defence Board, Marsden said.

Included in that potential upgrade is a new low collateral damage warhead, an enhanced hard target penetrator warhead and a digital seeker.

The company has also been using its own money to develop a GPS anti-jam capability, which can be retrofitted into existing weapons.

Marsden said the company had investigated the potential for scaling up the new penetrator warhead for larger members of the precision-guided munition family but would not proceed until the Spear Cap 1 work was further down the line.

TUCSON, Ariz., March 25, 2014 /PRNewswire

New capability will counter swarming boat threats

The U.S. Navy has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) on the MK-60 Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System that includes the Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) Griffin missile.  The milestone comes as the Navy continues to conduct littoral security operations in areas that require an immediate and precise response to confirmed threats.

The MK-60 Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System includes a proven laser targeting system, a Navy-designed launcher and battle management system combined with Raytheon's combat-proven Griffin missile.   

"The Griffin missile and MK-60 system assure the accuracy and lethality our sailors need to combat growing regional threats," said Captain Mike Ladner, Major Program Manager Surface Ship Weapons, U.S. Navy Integrated Warfare Systems 3.0 program office. "IOC signals the beginning of improved ship self-defense on the Patrol Coastal fleet and provides an immediate response to potential maritime threats, especially small craft on the move."

IOC follows extensive maritime testing that began in March 2012.  During that time, the Navy developed, integrated and tested a complete system using mature components combined with Raytheon's Griffin missile.

"Griffin is a mature, lightweight precision weapon that delivers reliable operational effectiveness to the warfighter," said Mike Jarrett, vice president of Air Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "The Navy's declaration of IOC with the Griffin Missile System is a significant accomplishment that demonstrates Griffin's flexibility and shows the missile is ideally suited to protect against the small boat threat on a variety of platforms."    

About Griffin

The Griffin missile is a multi-platform, multi-service weapon that has a proven track record for successful rapid integration on land, sea and air assets. The combat-proven Griffin AGM-176A is an aft-eject missile designed for employment from platforms such as the C-130 aircraft. The Griffin BGM-176B is a forward-firing missile that launches from rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, ground-launch applications and maritime platforms. The Griffin missile is 43 inches long, weighs 33 pounds, has a 13-pound warhead, and is in production today.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

TEWKSBURY, Mass., March 19, 2014 /PRNewswire

The U.S. will soon have another system to defend against ballistic missiles. Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) delivered its ninth AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar to the Missile Defense Agency, six months ahead of schedule.

AN/TPY-2 is an integral element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System.  It is a mobile X-band radar that helps protect civilians and infrastructure in the U.S., deployed warfighters, and allied nations and security partners, from the growing ballistic missile threat.  U.S. public intelligence estimates indicate there are more than 6,300 ballistic missiles not controlled by the U.S., NATO, China or Russia, with that number expected to reach almost 8,000 by 2020.

"Delivering this ninth radar is crucial because our nation's enemies continue to improve and proliferate their ballistic missile technology and tactics," said Raytheon's Dave Gulla, vice president of Integrated Defense Systems' Global Integrated Sensors business area. "The AN/TPY-2 consistently demonstrates its ability to pace the evolving threat, and test after test has proven it effectively defends against every category of ballistic missile."

The radar will be integrated into the U.S. Army's fourth Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense battery, serving as the "eyes and ears" of the system by searching, detecting, tracking and discriminating threats, and guiding the intercepting missile. Raytheon serves as one of MDA's prime contractors for THAAD.

Raytheon is currently under contract to provide three additional AN/TPY-2 radars for the MDA, and is in the process of building two radars for a U.S. ally in the Arabian Gulf.

About AN/TPY-2

AN/TPY-2 is a high resolution, mobile, rapidly deployable X-band radar capable of providing long range acquisition, precision track, and discrimination of all classes of ballistic missiles. The AN/TPY-2 may be deployed globally in either terminal or forward-based mode.

The AN/TPY-2 radar has two modes. In forward-based mode, the AN/TPY-2 cues the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), by detecting, discriminating and tracking enemy ballistic missiles in the ascent phase of flight. In terminal mode, it serves as the fire control radar for the THAAD system.

• AN/TPY-2 has performed flawlessly in both terminal and forward-based mode in all major tests.
• On Sept 10, 2013, two AN/TPY-2 radars – one terminal and one forward-based – achieved all test objectives in FTO-01, the U.S. military's first operational test of the Ballistic Missile Defense System.
• The forward-based AN/TPY-2 extended the battlespace during FTM-15 by enabling a Standard Missile-3 to launch on remote and intercept a separating Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile.
• Raytheon has delivered nine AN/TPY-2s to the Missile Defense Agency. Some of those radars are currently helping defend the U.S. and its allies in the European, Pacific and Central Command area of responsibilities.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

The AN/AQS-20A system is towed undersea to simultaneously scan the water column for anti-shipping mines forward of, to the sides, and beneath the vehicle. Sophisticated sonar, electro-optical sensors, and high-precision location information are used to provide high-resolution images of mines and mine-like objects.

Tewksbury MA Mar 05, 2014(SPX)

Raytheon has been awarded $35.5 million to provide the U.S. Navy with AN/AQS-20A minehunting sonar systems and equipment. The system leverages advanced sonar technologies to support the Navy's critical minehunting missions, ensuring safe access and passage for military and civilian vessels on the world's oceans and waterways.

Deployed from the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) as the variable depth sonar for the AN/WLD-1 Remote Minehunting System (RMS), the AN/AQS-20A system is towed undersea to scan the water in front, below and to the sides of the vehicle for anti-shipping mines.

"An essential component of LCS, AN/AQS-20A advances the capability of the ship's mine countermeasure arsenal," said Kevin Peppe, vice president of Seapower Capability Systems for Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business.

"Enhanced to optimize detection - in both range and accuracy, AN/AQS-20A provides the Navy with the advantage they need to safely detect and effectively identify these undersea threats."

This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $199,692,601. The majority of the work will be performed at Raytheon's Portsmouth, R.I. facility with support and contributions from other Raytheon business areas as well as a host of large and small business supplier partners.

AN/AQS-20A

AN/AQS-20A is a critical element of the U.S. Navy's mine countermeasure capability, and the only minehunting sonar sensor developed, tested and certified for Remote Multi Mission Vehicle (RMMV) deployment. It is the most advanced and capable mine warfare sensor system, fully integrated with and effectively operated from the RMMV, now successfully deployed from LCS 2.

The AN/AQS-20A system is towed undersea to simultaneously scan the water column for anti-shipping mines forward of, to the sides, and beneath the vehicle. Sophisticated sonar, electro-optical sensors, and high-precision location information are used to provide high-resolution images of mines and mine-like objects.

End-to-End Mine Countermeasure Capability

Raytheon provides both a modern minehunting and mine neutralization capability to the U.S. Navy, which are two of the components in the mine countermeasure mission package for the Littoral Combat Ship class.

Supporting mine-clearing operations in both deep-ocean and littoral waters, AN/AQS-20A minehunting sonar detects, localizes and identifies bottom, close-tethered and volume mines; and the AN/ASQ-235 Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) reacquires and neutralizes mines found by the AN/AQS-20A. AMNS consists of a helicopter-based control console as well as a launch and handling system equipped with four unmanned Archerfish neutralizer vehicles that destroy mines via remote control from the operator in the MH-60S helicopter.

The advanced technologies of these systems deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end solution - detection to neutralization - enabling the Navy to safely and effectively execute its mission with reduced risk to its ships and crews.

05 March 2014 by defenceWeb

The global market for shoulder-launched anti-tank missiles and rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.03% to reach $3.2 billion by the end of 2020, according to a new report.

Due to economic downturn, major countries like the U.S. and U.K. are witnessing economic difficulties, according to the report entitled, "Shoulder Fired Anti-Tank, Anti-Aircraft Short Range Missiles and RPG Market - Global Forecasts and Analysis to 2014 - 2020". The US has witnessed budget cuts in the recent past and it is likely to continue in the near future - it has announced a budget cut of $178 billion for 2011-2015. Brazil, India, South Korea, China, and Japan are the new leaders in their region, due to their defence spending and their current national security situation.

Key players like Raytheon, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, Raytheon Company Alliant Techsystems (ATK), MBDA, and Lockheed Martin play a major role in the industry.

Late last year Forecast International predicted that manufacturers will produce 200 000 anti-armour missiles worth $9.7 billion through 2022. The company said that combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere have spurred anti-armour purchases by the U.S. and other militaries. Ironically, these missiles are not engaging tanks, but rather a host of other target types – from terrorist hideouts to unarmoured pickup trucks. Established market players have benefitted from this evolving trend, according to Forecast International.

"U.S. and Israeli firms still have the largest share of the anti-armour missile market," said Larry Dickerson, Forecast International's senior missile analyst. During this period, "Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Rafael will earn $2.8 billion selling anti-armour missiles to customers worldwide," Dickerson said.

The market positions of these manufacturers have become increasingly intertwined. For example, Lockheed Martin has cooperated with Raytheon in the development and production – and marketing – of the FGM-148 Javelin man-portable anti armour missile system. The Javelin is the U.S. Department of Defence's standard man-portable anti-tank guided weapon, and nearly a dozen nations employ it.

Meanwhile, new systems are emerging overseas. "Europe is working on next-generation systems to win back the market share it once had," Dickerson said. These include the Missile Moyenne Portee (MMP) and the Missile Longue Portee (MLP), which will replace MILAN and HOT, respectively.

For its part, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems is Israel's leading anti-armour missile manufacturer. Against most expectations, Israel has slowly secured export production contracts for its anti-armour missiles and from an area once thought to present few opportunities – Europe. Rafael can count seven European countries as customers of its family of SPIKE anti-armour missiles, providing a stable production base for the company, according to Forecast International.

Companies are also working on new lightweight missiles that can perform various missions and demonstrate the blurring between different markets. "Missiles are slowly evolving, becoming more than just a weapon for use against tanks or aircraft or bunkers," Dickerson said. "Eventually, the anti-tank missile market will cease to be an independent entity, becoming submerged in a larger strike weapons market."

February 18, 2014: Strategy Page

It was recently announced that 2,000 of the AGM-176 Griffin missiles had been produced so far. Since entering service in 2010 the Griffin has been pitched as a replacement for Hellfire. But only SOCOM (Special Operations Command) and the CIA have bought many, and in much smaller quantities than Hellfire, which weighs three times as much as Griffin. The U.S. Army remains the main user of Hellfire but because of frequent use on helicopter gunships. Because of the growing use of larger UAVs (like Predator and Reaper), the air force and CIA have become heavy users as well.

It was believed that smaller missiles would become popular because more could be carried and these (like 70mm guided rockets and Griffin) weapons contain even less explosives (limiting casualties to nearby civilians). But Hellfire remains the missile with the track record that you can always depend on and the smaller missiles just never caught on.

In service since 1984, the American AGM-114 Hellfire missile has not only proved enormously useful in the war on terror, it has also defeated numerous efforts to replace it with something better. It didn’t help that an improved Hellfire, Hellfire II, appeared in 1994 and over 30,000 have been produced so far. These have been the most frequently used American missiles for over a decade, with over 16,000 fired in training or (mostly) combat since 2001. A growing number of these Hellfires are for foreign customers. Hellfire missiles cost about $100,000 each depending on warhead and guidance system options. Britain produces a Hellfire variant, called Brimstone which is unique mainly in that it can be fire from jets. This version has become very popular as well.

Hellfire was originally designed for use by helicopter gunships against masses of Cold War era Russian tanks. That never happened, except in Kuwait during the 1991 war against Russian tanks owned by Iraq. Hellfire was quite successful in Kuwait. With the end of the Cold War the Hellfire seemed destined for the history books, as just another missile that worked but never distinguished itself. This all changed in 2002 when the CIA first used a Hellfire fired from a Predator UAV to kill a hard-to-find terrorist. The U.S. Air Force wasn’t really interested in this sort of thing and the CIA used its own money and authority to buy Predator UAVs and arm them with Hellfires. It quickly became apparent that the air force was wrong about UAVs and, well, the Hellfire was an army weapon used on helicopters and the air force never considered such a combination of UAV and missile useful for anything. The army soon found that Hellfire was an excellent weapon for supporting troops in urban areas or when going after terrorists anywhere.

The CIA was also the first to use smaller missiles like the Griffin on UAVs. This enabled targets to be destroyed with less risk to nearby civilians. The Griffin was created as an alternative to the Hellfire II, which weighs 48.2 kg (106 pounds) and carries a 9 kg (20 pound) warhead and has a range of 8,000 meters. In contrast, the Griffin weighs only 16 kg (35 pounds), with a 5.9 kg (13 pound) warhead which is larger, in proportion to its size, than the one carried by the larger Hellfire missile. Griffin has a pop-out wings, allowing it to glide, and thus has a longer range (15 kilometers) than Hellfire but takes much longer to reach the target. UAVs can carry more of the smaller missiles, typically two of them in place of one Hellfire.

Even before Griffin hit the market there were several firms offering 70mm rockets reconfigured as guided missiles. The result was basically a 13.6 kg (30 pound) missile with a laser seeker, a 2.7 kg (six pound) warhead and a range of about six kilometers. The U.S. Marines have adopted these for use on their helicopters and the results have been satisfactory. What won the marines over was price, as the marines are always short of cash. Several European and Israeli manufacturers came up with similar smaller missiles, but none really proved all that superior to old reliable; the Hellfire.

All these weapons use laser designators on an aircraft, or with troops on the ground for guidance. The laser is pointed at the target and the laser seeker in the front of the missile homes on the reflected laser light. This system enables the missile to hit within a meter or so (2-10 feet) of the aiming point. On the downside fog and clouds distorts the laser and makes it unreliable.

21/01/2014 Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

Raytheon équipera le sultanat d'un système de défense aérienne NASAMS (lanceur fixes) et SLAMRAAM (lanceurs mobiles). Un contrat estimé par les diplomates américains à 2,1 milliards de dollars mais qui était promis au missilier européen MBDA.
 

Les Etats-Unis ont gagné. Par la force. Entre Paris et Washington, le sultan d'Oman, Qabous bin Saïd, a choisi... le plus puissant. Et c'est donc Raytheon qui équipera le sultanat d'un système de défense aérienne NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System), un lanceur fixe armé par des missiles AMRAAM, un contrat de 1,28 milliard de dollars, selon Raytheon. Hasard ou pas de calendrier, Oman a signé le contrat avec Raytheon la veille d'un déplacement ce mardi de la ministre du Commerce extérieur, Nicole Bricq à Mascate. Ce qui manque un peu de tact d'autant que c'est la première visite d'un membre du gouvernement français depuis bien longtemps à Mascate.

Le contrat a été paraphé lundi entre le ministre des Affaires de défense, Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib al-Busaidi, et le Dr Thomas A. Kennedy, qui sera PDG de Raytheon à compter du 31 mars 2014. Pourtant, initialement il était promis à MBDA... "Le contrat avec Oman, que nous avons perdu, a expliqué Antoine Bouvier aux députés, s'élevait à un milliard d'euros, soit deux années de notre chiffre d'affaire en France", avait expliqué cet automne à l'Assemblée nationale le PDG de MBDA, Antoine Bouvier.

La puissance de feu américaine

En mai dernier lors d'une visite à Mascate, le secrétaire d'Etat américain, John Kerry, avait fini le travail en forçant la main des Omanais contraints de choisir un système de défense aérienne américain. La puissance américaine avait eu raison de MBDA, qui avait de bonnes références dans ce pays du Golfe mais qui s'est fait souffler le contrat par Raytheon, bien appuyé par la puissance de feu de l'administration américaine. "En janvier 2013, les Omanais ont décidé d'acheter un système de défense sol-air fabriqué par Raytheon... ce pour quoi le secrétaire (d'État) faisait campagne lorsqu'il était au Sénat", a indiqué un haut responsable du département d'État.

Dans un communiqué commun publié au terme de la visite de John Kerry, les deux pays avaient indiqué que "les négociations finales sur l'achat du système sont en cours avec Raytheon et une conclusion définitive du contrat est attendue après un accord sur les aspects techniques du système (...) et d'autres questions annexes".

Manurhin à Oman

En revanche, le fabricant de machines de munitions Manurhin basé à Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin) avait annoncé en décembre avoir décroché le plus important contrat de son histoire, de plus de 60 millions d'euros, pour construire une usine dans le sultanat d'Oman. Manurhin participera à hauteur de "60 à 80 millions d'euros" à la création d'une usine de fabrication de cartouches dans le sultanat d'Oman qui sera opérationnelle dans trois ans, a annoncé le président du conseil de surveillance, Rémy Thannberger.

Il porte à près de 200 millions d'euros le carnet de commandes de Manurhin, soit l'équivalent de plus de six ans d'activité, selon 'entreprise alsacienne. Manurhin, qui emploie 130 salariés, réalisera un chiffre d'affaires de 30 à 35 millions d'euros cette année 2013, soit le double de 2012 (17 millions d'euros), a relevé Remy Thannberger.

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Dec. 18 (UPI)

Raytheon announced Wednesday it has begun building the 12th AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

The AN/TPY-2 is a mobile X-band radar that provides long-range acquisition, precision tracking and discrimination of short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

It can be deployed in either terminal or forward-based mode.

"Beginning production of a 12th AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar is so important because this X-band sensor is the backbone of U.S. missile defense around the globe," said Dave Gulla, vice president of Global Integrated Sensors in Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business. "The U.S., our warfighters, allies and security partners can count on the AN/TPY-2 because it has performed flawlessly in every test to date against all categories of ballistic missiles."

Production of the 12th AN/TPY-2 comes under a $172.2 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense awarded this month.

Raytheon has delivered eight of the radars to the U.S. military under an earlier contract.