Raytheon has won a $145 million contract to make Patriot missiles for Kuwait's air and missile defense systems.

Raytheon received the contract from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command.

The MIM-104E Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile-T interceptors are capable of eliminating numerous threats including hostile aircraft and nonstrategic ballistic missiles carrying biological, chemical or nuclear payloads.

"This new GEM-T missile production contract highlights the efforts by Kuwait Air Defense to maintain readiness and effectiveness of the Patriot Air and Missile System to counter evolving regional threats," Raytheon Vice President Sanjay Kapoor said in a company release.

The missiles are expected to complement Kuwait's Configuration-3 radar system upgrade work under way at Raytheon.

The company is already working on a radar system upgrade for Kuwait. It is understood that work on the missile contract will be carried out by Raytheon's IDS unit in Andover, Mass.

The U.S. Army said the Patriot deal is intended to bolster ongoing efforts to increase Kuwait's air and missile defenses.

"We continue to modernize the Patriot system and are committed to providing Kuwait and our 11 other partner nations globally with increased system reliability and reduced life-cycle costs," Kapoor said in the statement.

The deal comes as Raytheon also received a $20 million Foreign Military Sales technical assistance to support operational of Kuwait's Patriot Air and Missile Defense System. The deal also affords additional training and support for Kuwait's fielded radars.

"This technical assistance contract award validates the strong alliance among the Kuwait Air Defense Forces, the U.S. government and Raytheon in maintaining the readiness and effectiveness of the combat-proven Patriot system in Kuwait," Kapoor said.

The upgrading program, he added, "is a testament to our commitment to ensure that Patriot remains available for the protection of the U.S. and its allies."

Raytheon is the prime contractor for domestic and international Patriot air and missile defense systems and is the system integrator for Patriot advanced capability-3 missiles.

With 2009 sales registered at $25 billion, Raytheon is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets around the world.

Employing 75,000 people worldwide and with a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides "state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services," a company statement said.