Digital Battlespace

Lockheed Martin working on new AESA radar

09th August 2017 - 13:30 by The Shephard News Team

Lockheed Martin has introduced an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar demonstrator for engagement and surveillance as part of work to develop a next generation air and missile defence sensor.

The demonstrator is a representative full-scale prototype of the technology to support a modern, 360 degree capable sensor that the US Army will use to address current and emerging air and ballistic missile threats.

This fractional array is representative of Lockheed Martin's potential Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor solution, built on a modular and scalable architecture to scale to the army's requirements - once finalised - to replace the aging Patriot MPQ-65 radar. The array will be used to mature technology and verify performance to ensure uniform 360 degree threat detection and system performance.

Lockheed Martin's AESA technology incorporates gallium nirtride (GaN) transmitter technology and advanced signal processing. These technologies and concepts have been fully integrated into both demonstration and production systems and are also in use in the AN/TP/Q-53 radar system.

Mark Mekker, director of next generation radar systems at Lockheed Martin, said: ‘Incremental upgrades to the existing Patriot radar no longer address current sustainment issues, current threat performance shortcomings, or provide growth for future and evolving threats.

‘Lockheed Martin is prepared to offer a next generation missile defence system that will leverage advances in radar technology to provide a modular, scalable architecture and reduce the total cost of ownership well over its 30 year lifecycle.’