Raytheon working on NGR technology

Raytheon and the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) have entered a collaborative alliance through a $1.1 million grant to develop Scalable, Agile, Multimode, Front End Technology (SAFMET) for the army's Next Generation Radar (NGR) programme, the company announced on 11 July.

The 24-month cooperative research agreement will see Raytheon and ARL work together to design, develop and demonstrate modular components that can be integrated with NGR systems. The agreement comes under the ARL's Advanced RF Technologies programme.

NGR will enhance the performance of radar-reliant air defence and counter rocket and mortar systems, especially in portable configuration such as airborne, vehicle-mounted and handheld deployments. 

Colin Whelan, vice president of advanced technology at Raytheon, said that the team will work with the ARL to leverage Raytheon's investment in gallium nitride (GaN) technology to improve radar capabilities.

GaN is a semiconductor material that amplifies high-power signals at microwave frequencies. It enables radars to operate significantly more powerfully than with older semiconductor technology, without overheating. Raytheon's GaN components generate radio frequency at a third of the cost per watt, as compared to gallium arsenide alternatives. They also have a demonstrated mean time between failures at 100 million hours.