The successful U.S. government test of the next evolution of the Patriot Advanced Configuration-2, or PAC-2, GEM missile was the second of four development flight tests to be conducted by the Patriot Lower Tier Project Office using Raytheon's newly-developed Patriot system post deployment build-6, or PDB-6, software, the company said.

"This flight test builds on the success of the previous PAC-2 test, and the outstanding results validate we're on track to ensure the Patriot system remains an affordable, premier air defense solution for our warfighters," said Rick Yuse, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Integrated Air Defense vice president.

"As in the previous test, this equipment demonstrated the Configuration-3/PDB-6 system's capability to search, detect, track, classify, engage and eliminate the threat with no doubt Mission Assurance."

In the test, three Patriot Configuration-3 fire units in a battalion configuration using PDB-6 software engaged a surrogate cruise missile flying at a low altitude simulating an attack on one of the Patriot fire units, Raytheon said. A GEM-T missile with improved capabilities was successfully launched from a local launcher and destroyed the target, the company said.

The capabilities incorporated into PDB-6 are the next step in the evolving growth for Patriot, Raytheon said. This update is composed of user-requested improvements, planned performance improvements, and improvements that had resulted out of lessons learned from Operation Iraqi Freedom, it said.

Patriot Configuration-3 fire units, consisting of the Patriot launchers, engagement control stations and Patriot radar systems, provided the battle management, command, control and communications to ensure the Configuration-3 system achieved test objectives.

Test data indicated that seamless communication and data transfer between the Patriot radar, engagement control station, and Patriot launcher enabled the Patriot Missile to destroy the target, Raytheon said. All tactical hardware for the missions was manned and operated by soldiers of the 1st of the 7th Air Defense Artillery Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Raytheon IDS is the prime contractor for the Patriot system and the system integrator for the Configuration-3 system that includes the GEM missile.

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