Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) have conducted a successful flight test of the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR), validating its ability to detect, track, and distinguish ballistic missile threats in complex operational environments.
The test, designated Flight Test Other-26a (FTX-26a), took place over the North Pacific. The LRDR system—developed by Lockheed Martin—identified and tracked an air-launched target equipped with countermeasures, transmitting key data to the Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system. The information was then used to simulate a Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) engagement.
According to Lockheed Martin, the demonstration marked several operational milestones:
– First-time discrimination of a live ballistic threat in a cluttered environment
– Seamless data sharing between LRDR and C2BMC to support a simulated intercept
Rick Cordaro, Vice President of Radar and Sensor Systems at Lockheed Martin, emphasized the radar’s extended detection range and integration potential. “This test highlights LRDR’s role in enabling timely, actionable decision-making,” he said.
The LRDR system is part of the U.S. homeland missile defense architecture, designed to enhance situational awareness and early warning capabilities through advanced radar discrimination and tracking. Its open architecture allows for future upgrades and integration of new technologies.
The test contributes to the broader effort to strengthen deterrence by improving missile defense coverage and response coordination across platforms.