Raytheon (RTX) and Kongsberg Defense have announced a significant new milestone in their longstanding defense partnership focused on the development of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). As part of this advancement, Kongsberg has officially joined the development of Raytheon’s new Ghost Eye-MR radar. This announcement comes over a year after the collaborative agreement to enhance NASAMS was signed in October 2023 by Raytheon, Kongsberg, and the Norwegian government.
The Ghost Eye-MR is a next-generation, mobile, multi-functional radar designed for 360-degree surveillance and fire control operations. It is capable of operating effectively across a wide range of terrains and can function in both standalone and integrated sensor environments. The radar utilizes an open-architecture software framework and incorporates advanced military-grade gallium nitride (GaN) modules. This allows it to deliver long-range, high-resolution performance without sacrificing signal integrity or system reliability.
Under the terms of the new agreement, Kongsberg Defense will manufacture two critical sub-assemblies for the Ghost Eye-MR radar. While the system has so far been deployed only in a trailer-towed configuration, future versions are planned to be mounted on trucks fitted with standard ISO 20-foot mountings, allowing for more faster deployments. It remains undecided whether the final assembly of the radar will take place in Norway or the United States. The improved radar is likely being marketed for European customers who are keen on upgrading there existing NASAMS systems.
The integration of the Ghost Eye-MR radar into NASAMS represents a substantial upgrade to the system’s sensor suite. It will act as a high-end detection asset, significantly enhancing NASAMS’ capabilities in target acquisition and engagement, particularly in terms of extended range and increased altitude coverage.
Furthermore, the Ghost Eye-MR will unlock the full potential of the Raytheon family of effectors used within NASAMS, including the AMRAAM® and the extended-range AMRAAM-ER® missiles. These advanced interceptors were previously constrained by the limitations of older radars (AN/MPQ-64 versions). With the Ghost Eye-MR, the system will also gain enhanced capabilities for countering unmanned aerial systems (UAS), making it more effective in addressing a broader spectrum of modern aerial threats.
This collaboration further enhances the 30 year relation of deep defense cooperation between Raytheon and Kongsberg, while also highlighting the strategic importance of multinational cooperation in advancing air defense technologies for NATO and allied forces.
