Kevin Peppe, Raytheon: AMDR Air & Missile Defense Radar Modules Excel During Testing

September 19, 2011

Raytheon's transmit/receive (T/R) modules for the U.S. Navy's Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) program have passed a significant developmental testing milestone. Raytheon's Gallium Nitride modules exceeded Navy-specified requirements for extended, measured performance, demonstrating no degradation after more than 1,000 hours of testing.

Raytheon Gallium Nitride-based radar technology

Currently working Phase II of the AMDR program, Raytheon is developing a technology demonstrator for the system's S-band radar and radar suite controller. During the radio frequency operating life testing, the modules demonstrated consistent power output across multiple channels. The more than 1,000-hour Radio Frequency Operating Life test was a self-imposed early milestone for Raytheon.

"The threats that AMDR is designed to counter require leap-ahead technology that Raytheon is ready to deliver," said Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' Kevin Peppe, vice president of Seapower Capability Systems. "We are seeing our Gallium Nitride (GaN) modules exceed the program's performance requirements, which ensures that the Navy will get the capability and reliability they need for this sophisticated radar system at an affordable cost."

AMDR provides unprecedented capabilities for the Navy, beginning with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. It fills a critical gap in the joint forces' integrated air and missile defense capability, enabling highly effective missile defenses to be deployed in a flexible manner wherever needed. The radar suite consists of an S-band radar, X-band radar and radar suite controller. The system is fully scalable, enabling the radar to be sized according to mission need and to be installed on ships of varying size as necessary to meet the Navy's current and future mission requirements. The radar's digital beamforming capability enables it to perform multiple simultaneous missions, a critical feature that makes the system affordable and operationally effective for the Navy.

Raytheon's skill and experience working with large-scale active phased-array radars spans the frequency spectrum from UHF to X/Ku-band and dates back to the Cobra Judy and Upgraded Early Warning Radar programs, continuing today with the advanced Dual Band Radar, AN/TPY-2 and Cobra Judy Replacement programs. The knowledge and experience gained from these programs will ensure that the AMDR S- and X-band radars operate in coordination across a variety of operational environments.

The company has a long heritage of developing and producing some of the world's most capable air and missile defense radars, which positions it well for the AMDR competition. Additionally, Raytheon has produced more than 1.8 million AESA (active electronically scanned array) T/R modules to date and has decades of experience working with adaptive beamforming technologies. Raytheon is also a leading provider of high-performance GaN technology.

Work on the AMDR program is performed at Integrated Defense Systems' Headquarters, Tewksbury, Mass.; at the Surveillance and Sensors Center, Sudbury, Mass.; at the Seapower Capability Center, Portsmouth, R.I.; and at the Integrated Air Defense Center, Andover, Mass. Raytheon has partnered with General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems and naval architect Gibbs & Cox in the concept and technology development of this next-generation radar solution.