MSPO 2014: Raytheon Incorporating Poland's Defence Industry to Provide a Balanced Capability

Ralph Acaba, Vice President of Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems interviewed by MT correspondent Robert Czulda. (Photos: Raytheon)

MT: Recently Raytheon’s officials stated that no one has ever been offered such a level of cooperation as Poland. Could you please elaborate on that?
R. Acaba: Our offer to Poland is unique because we are able to provide initial capability based on the latest advanced technology while developing in parallel (with Polish industry) the next generation PATRIOT system. The next generation PATRIOT that is co-developed with Poland, built in Poland, is what will be the final delivered solution to Poland.

MT: Due to the current political and military situation Poland might speed up the Wisla project. Is Raytheon capable of delivering PATRIOT earlier?
R. Acaba: Yes. We have declared in the past that we will be able to provide the initial operational capability to Poland within three years from the contract signing, so if the contract is signed in 2015, we will deliver the system by 2018. It will be delivered as new and based on the latest advanced technology. At the same time, we will be working with Polish industry on co-development/production of a next generation PATRIOT solution incorporating the solid state advanced 360 degree radar, common command & control system (C2) and the Low Cost Interceptor (LCI).  All of which will be incorporated into the Final Operational Capability (FOC) by 2022.

MT: Poland seeks a high level of industrial and technical cooperation with Polish defense companies. What can Raytheon offer at this stage?
R. Acaba: Poland will have major involvement in the co-development (design, engineering, software) of the Next Generation PATRIOT system, including co-production of a large portion of this future capability for both Poland and export to other nations for the radar, command and control and missiles. This will include transfer of technology with design, manufacturing, integration, assembly, system validation and test, training, service and sustainment, a joint/NATO training center, and a missile integration/assembly and certification facility.

MT: As far as I know Raytheon examined the Polish defense industry potential very well. Can you please tell us how many Polish companies are already able to meet Raytheon’s quality requirements in terms of designing, producing and assembling? Do you think that they will not fall short?
R. Acaba: We have met with more than a hundred Polish companies, many of which have outstanding technical capabilities. Right now we foresee the biggest challenge being capacity but we are having productive conversations and working through this. We are also speaking with universities and see the possibilities for broad cooperation there.

PATRIOT launcher

MT: The PATRIOT system can be considered as highly advanced and sensitive equipment which falls under the US export regulations. Can this be a problem in terms of technological transfer to Poland? Has the US government already approved transferring technological know-how to Poland? Will Raytheon give access to technology or source codes to Poland?
R. Acaba: The US government has already provided approval for the majority of the current modernised PATRIOT configuration being built today and is working to obtain the required release and technology transfer needed to satisfy the next generation Patriot program needs for Poland, particularly in the radar and missile areas.  This should also allow the right levels of polish industrial participation.

MT: What is PATRIOT’s modernisation potential for the future? Poland needs a system that will remain technologically advanced and modern for the next few decades.
R. Acaba: The US continually evaluates all potential future threats and PATRIOT’s performance against those threats to determine if upgrades are required in either hardware, software or both. This becomes the basic modernisation plan for PATRIOT, which is cost shared among the 12 member nations that currently own the system. There is nearly half a billion dollars annually to upgrade, modernise and test the system so that it can continually defend against the toughest and ever-evolving threats. No other nation or group of nations can match that resource base for continuous modernization and testing.  PATRIOT is also the system of choice by some of the most developed and well resourced countries of the world - ones who exist in the presence of active ballistic missile threats.

MT: Poland was offered participation in the LCI project. Could you please elaborate more on that? Is LCI a completely new missile or is it going to be based on an already existing missile? 
R. Acaba: Raytheon has provided several options that could be considered for the LCI and has offered to work with the MoND on a specific trade study across these options considering different levels of maturity and development for the LCI. In partnership with the MoND, we will analyse the specific requirements required to meet Poland’s operational needs and determine the best possible approach.  The LCI is one opportunity for Raytheon to partner with Polish industry in the areas of design, development, production, and export.

MT: Is it possible to use other missiles, for example Polish-built VSHORAD missiles, in the PATRIOT system?
R. Acaba: PATRIOT is the only operational air and missile defence system that is already using a missile mix to allow for the optimum matching of missile capabilities/cost to threat. Additional missiles could be considered for integrated into the Patriot missile mix if it makes operational and technical sense. PATRIOT also has extensive interoperability with other systems, which will be enhanced with the development of the Common Command and Control (CC2).  Other missiles such as the Polish built VSHORAD would most likely be integrated with Patriot through the CC2 as the most logical operational situation all of which will be worked with the MoND.

MT: According to many Polish experts the biggest problem of PATRIOT, apart from a high price, is the radar which does not have 360 degrees capabilities. Do you have any solution to that issue?
R. Acaba: We are offering a next generation PATRIOT radar using fixed “staring” arrays. The main array is oriented toward the primary target line (azimuth of expected threat origins) while 2 rear arrays have the same functions as the main array through the use of improved high energy waveforms. Raytheon's radar is 360 degree fixed "staring" (i.e. non -rotating). This type of radar has inherent performance benefits against specific highly maneuvering threats. Additionally, we are incorporating Poland defence industry radars as part of the overall architecture to provide a balanced capability.


MT: Poland was offered a mix of missiles. Why?
R. Acaba: For initial capability in 2018 we are offering a mix of PAC-3 MSE, PAC-3, and GEM-T missiles, all based on the latest design. Why a mix? Because one missile cannot defeat every type of threat, so there is an optimum missile type to achieve the best performance at the lowest cost. For example, PAC-3 and PAC-3 MSE use “hit to kill” technology and are thus, unlike competing interceptors, capable of destroying targets such as medium range ballistic missile carrying weapons of mass destruction. GEM-T missile, with a longer range and large warhead, is more effective at destroying targets such as short range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft, and UAVs.

MT: What experience does Raytheon have in Poland so far?
R. Acaba: Raytheon has worked in Poland in the commercial training market through our Raytheon Professional Services (RPS).  Additionally, the Polish Air Force employs Raytheon’s air-to-air missiles, AIM-9X and AMRAAM. In June 2012, the company opened a new site in Warsaw that not only serves as the Raytheon office for Poland but also as the regional hub for Central Eastern Europe and the Baltics. While Poland is one of Raytheon’s newer partners, the company has had a presence in Europe for decades and currently has more than 3,000 employees and 500 partners in the region. Raytheon has already started working with Polish industry on specific PATRIOT upgrades such as the IFF antenna upgrade that was previously announced. This provided the opportunity for both Raytheon and Polish Defense industry to work on directly related projects prior to starting the Wisla programme.