Raytheon announced it has completed all system requirements and testing of the Upgraded Early Warning Radar at Thule AB, Greenland. The UEWR is now ready to support the United States’ ballistic missile defense mission, according to the company. Thule is the third Air Force early warning radar that Raytheon modified so that it is able to detect ballistic missiles early in their flights, precisely track them, and then accurately determine if they are threats. The two other radars are located at Beale AFB, Calif., and RAF Fylingdales, Britain. “Our ability to leverage the technical knowledge and real-world experience from the previous upgrades at Beale and Fylingdales enabled us to deliver a system that meets current and future operational needs on time and under budget,” said Dave Gulla, Raytheon’s vice president for national and theater security programs.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.