Raytheon Company has received US Congressional and State Department approvals on a $1.7 billion direct commercial sales contract to upgrade Saudi Arabia's Patriot Air and Missile Defense System.

The award, announced earlier this year, includes ground-system hardware, a full training package, support equipment upgrades to the latest Configuration-3 and an interoperability capability to support potential coalition operations.

Patriot is the world's most capable air and missile defense system, protecting against a full range of advanced threats, including aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, a statement said.

It is the system of choice for 12 nations around the globe, it added.

Raytheon is the prime contractor for both domestic and international Patriot Air and Missile Defense Systems and system integrator for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles. – TradeArabia News Service