U.S. Army contracts Raytheon to provide sensors for force protection

WALTHAM, Mass., 20 May 2007. The U.S. Army has awarded a $10.1 million contract to Raytheon Co. to provide towers arrayed with sensors to help protect U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Under the contract, Raytheon will deliver 16 Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) tower systems, which can be operated remotely, to the Army.

The company will establish a systems engineering approach for the program that includes linking the towers to other existing Army systems.

RAID is a surveillance system with infrared sensor systems elevated on a stationary platform. The towers can detect hostile troop and equipment movement at considerable distances to assist armed forces in detecting and responding to threats.

The company will construct the towers at its facilities in Andover, Mass., and Huntsville, Ala. Raytheon plans to complete delivery by September.