WASHINGTON — Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems has sold its 12th AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), one of two recent contracts related to the radar worth a combined $199 million, according to postings on the Federal Business Opportunities website.

The first contract, issued Dec. 17, is a $172 million modification to manufacture the 12th radar. 

Eight AN/TPY-2 radars have been produced and four are deployed as forward-based sensors for the Ballistic Missile Defense System, according to an October fact sheet from the MDA. The 12th is expected to be the agency’s final one, according to the fact sheet. 

This iteration of the radar will feature faster data processing, a capability announced by Raytheon officials in October, and one they say will be especially important as missile threats become increasingly sophisticated. The upgrade may be retrofitted on previous radars, Raytheon officials have said. 

Meanwhile, the MDA on Dec. 19 awarded a second contract, worth $27 million, for spare parts for two of the AN/TPY-2 radars that are being sold to the United Arab Emirates as part of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. That system is being built for the United Arab Emirates by Lockheed Martin. The modification changes the contract value for Raytheon from $625 million to $652 million.

 
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Mike Gruss is a senior staff writer for SpaceNews. He joined the publication in January 2013 to cover military space. Previously, he worked as a reporter and columnist for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va. and The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Ind. He...