Washington (UPI) - The Raytheon Company said Monday it had moved ahead of schedule and was under budget in producing the second Ballistic Missile Defense System Forward Based X-Band Transportable radar. Raytheon will be delivering the compelted FBT-X radar to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., for final testing and acceptance.

"With the completion of the factory testing and acceptance of the second FBX-T radar, we've taken another significant step toward implementing an effective capability to protect the U.S., deployed forces and allies from ballistic missile threats," said Pete Franklin, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Missile DefenseBusiness Area.

"Raytheon's BMDS program is leading the way, providing advanced sensor capabilities and enhanced affordability," Franklin said.

Raytheon IDS won the MDA's BMDS radar contract in April 2003. It completed and handed over the first FBX-T radar under budget and ahead of schedule in November 2004.

"The radar, currently deployed in Japan, is the first new MDA system to be developed and deployed as an operational asset outside the United States," Raytheon said.

The company said it developed the FBX-T radar "by drawing on extensive sensor knowledge" from its X-Band "Family of Radars."

Raytheon described the FBX-T as an "high-power, transportable X-Band radar designed to detect, track and discriminate ballistic missile threats early in flight, maximizing the capability of the BMDS to identify, assess and engage threats to the U.S.deployed forces and allies."

Source: United Press International