Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business, will continue operating and maintaining the US government’s Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar (ROTHR) system under a $146 million, five-year contract.

Originally developed to track long-range targets for aircraft and ships, ROTHR is now the primary detection system for border security and drug smuggling interdiction for the Joint Interagency Task Force South. In 2020 alone, ROTHR contributed to the seizure of 26 metric tons of cocaine from drug smugglers attempting to cross into US territory.

“Raytheon Technologies’ ROTHR systems have supported US Navy operations for over 30 years,” said John DeSimone, vice president of Cybersecurity, Training and Services for RI&S.  “We will continue to work closely with the Navy and JIATF South to help protect our national security.”

The contract covers operations and maintenance at six ROTHR locations in Puerto Rico, Texas and Virginia. Each radar provides more than 2.5 million square miles of coverage area, resulting in extremely low operational costs.