Raytheon wins DARPA communications contract

Raytheon has been awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that will allow armed forces to conduct jamming operations with minimal communication and control interference to friendly forces. The 3.8 million contract was announced 1 March 2012.

According to Raytheon, the High-Power Efficient Rf Digital-to-Analog Converter (HiPERDAC) programme seeks to enable tactical platforms, such as maritime craft, ground vehicles, tactical aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as individual soldiers, to conduct battlefield jamming operations while minimising frequency interference with friendly forces.

By generating signals that are both linear (that is, the ability of a signal to remain within a certain frequency) and efficient, HiPERDAC allows jamming across the frequency spectrum while providing precise gaps for communication frequencies used by friendly forces. Achieving signal linearity and efficiency has traditionally been very difficult, particularly at high power levels.

Under the two-year contract, Raytheon aims to produce a technology demonstration showcasing the ability to efficiently generate high-power, rapidly tunable, linear microwave signals across a broad range of frequencies.