The United States government approved Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) to export a Gallium Nitride- (GaN) based Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Patriot sensor to Patriot Air and Missile Defense System partner nations.
"GaN-based AESA technology can bring customers of the combat-proven Patriot optimized 360-degree coverage while setting the stage for future capability improvements," said Ralph Acaba, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business. "GaN-based AESA technology improves Patriot's already high reliability rate and significantly reduces the radar's annual operation and maintenance costs beyond what has already been achieved with other recent Patriot radar improvements."
The Biggest Thing Since Silicon: Raytheon’s Gallium Nitride Breakthrough « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary
“The gallium nitride story is an under-reported and really revolutionary development,” defense industry analyst and consultant Loren Thompson told me this morning. “People are saying it’s the biggest invention in semi-conductors since silicon.”
Yesterday, after a year-and-a-half-long process, the government granted Raytheon permission to export the latest upgrade of its Patriot missile defense system to 22 countries. (No one’s actually bought the upgrade yet, but the 12 current and 10 prospective Patriot customers on the list are now effectively pre-approved). The upgrade isn’t even to the Patriot missile itself, but to the radar.
The new technology improves reliability, range, and coverage. The only visible difference, though, is a pair of adorably ear-like extra panels at the back that give the radar a 360-degree field of view. But the “secret sauce” that makes the upgrade possible, Raytheon spokesman Michael Nachsen told me, is gallium nitride — and this is the first time the government has allowed the export of GaN in a land-based radar.
U.S. approves export of new Raytheon sensor for Patriot missiles | Reuters
Raytheon has invested more than $150 million over the past 15 years in gallium nitride, or GaN, and it is part of a new Air and Missile Defense Radar that Raytheon is building for the U.S. Navy, as well as several Air Force programs.
The export release of the new GaN-based AESA radar could boost Raytheon's prospects in a big Polish missile defense competition since it would give the system the ability to see a 360-degree view of potential threats.
No comments:
Post a Comment