A surveillance and fire-control radar system attached to tethered aerostats has been successfully tested in the United States.

Raytheon said a series of demonstration tests were conducted on its Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System in Utah. The system tracked targets, integrated the information with fire control and tactical data link systems of air and missile defense systems.

"The monthlong DT-1 demonstrated JLENS' maturity to track low-flying cruise missile surrogates, unmanned aerial vehicles, fighter aircraft and moving surface targets, and to integrate with air and missile defense systems," said David Gulla, vice president of Global Integrated Sensors at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business.

Raytheon said one of the two aerostats that carry the system aloft elevates a surveillance radar to 10,000 feet. Radar coverage area is 360 degrees for hundreds of miles. The other carries the fire-control radar and both can be integrated with various communications and sensor systems.

"In addition to detecting and tracking targets, the system demonstrated its ability to communicate targeting data over command and control systems, such as Link-16, and interface with combat identification support systems, such as IFF (Identify Friend or Foe), to discriminate between friendly and hostile aircraft and missiles," said Mark Rose, program director for JLENS with Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.

Live-fire tests using JLENS will be conducted later this year.