Tag Archives: Raytheon Missiles & Defense

Navy

Flexible Array Radar

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, has delivered the first-ever experimental Flexible Distributed Array Radar, or FlexDAR, to the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Built in partnership with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, FlexDAR combines digital beam forming, network coordination and precise time synchronization to perform multiple missions, such as surveillance, communications and electronic warfare, simultaneously with a single array.

FlexDAR
Raytheon Missiles & Defense and U.S. Naval Research Laboratory deliver world’s most advanced digital radar

«FlexDAR is a new apex in phased array radar system development», said Colin Whelan, vice president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. «It will improve military communications and deliver on our vision for a multi-mission radar. There really is nothing else like it on the planet».

NRL developed FlexDAR’s back-end subsystems, which were integrated with Raytheon Missiles & Defense’s front-end subsystems at the company’s Rhode Island facility. Further integration and testing occurred at the NRL’s Chesapeake Bay Detachment in Maryland, before delivering FlexDAR to ONR at their NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

«This was a highly successful collaboration between the Navy’s technology arm and a trusted industry partner», said Doctor Bradley Binder, program officer at ONR. «The partnership between ONR, NRL and Raytheon Missiles & Defense on FlexDAR has resulted in the delivery of a digital testbed that will pioneer next-generation capabilities for surface-, sea- and air-based platforms».

FlexDAR is being developed under ONR’s Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare Command and Control (EMC2) program to demonstrate the benefits of migrating digital technologies closer to a sensor’s front end. It comprises two experimental phased-array radars equipped with digital beam forming, communications and network-linked, distributed radar tracking.

FlexDAR’s aperture is capable of using a very large portion of its operating band at once, and it can expand to include future software upgrades.

Navy

Multi-mission radar

Installation of the U.S. Navy’s AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar has begun on the service’s new Aegis Flight III guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125). The four arrays that comprise the highly advanced radar system, built by Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, are being installed on the ship at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125)
The future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) photo rendering by Huntington Ingalls

«As the future USS Jack Lucas (DDG-125) takes shape, we are at the cusp of a new era for detection and discrimination of threats and decision-making at sea», said Captain Jason Hall, program manager for Above-Water Sensors for the U.S. Navy’s Program Executive Office (PEO) for Integrated Warfare Systems. «SPY-6 will fill critical mission gaps and enable precision operations in jammed and cluttered environments like never before».

The SPY-6(V) family of radars is ground-breaking technology that will enable the U.S. Navy to see farther, react quicker and greatly enhance their defense against threats. The system delivers significantly greater range, increased accuracy, greater resistance to environmental and man-made electronic clutter, advanced electronic protection and higher reliability than currently deployed radars.

«SPY-6 provides the U.S. Navy with unprecedented operational flexibility and readiness against a multitude of threats, and this milestone is a transformative step forward to placing unmatched technology into sailors’ hands», said Kim Ernzen, Naval Power vice president at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. «From COVID-19 to hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, our partners cleared numerous hurdles to complete deliveries and keep this important part of the ship-build on schedule».

The future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) is the first Flight III DDG to receive SPY-6(V)1 and is on track to deliver in FY23.

Air, Fighters, Missiles & Guided Weapons

Bulgaria selects AMRAAM

Bulgaria became the world’s 40th Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) user when the European nation recently signed an agreement to purchase the missile from the U.S. Air Force through a foreign military sales contract. This letter of offer and acceptance allows the U.S. government to begin contract negotiations with Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, for production of an undisclosed quantity of missiles.

AMRAAM
Bulgaria selects AMRAAM missile to bolster its air-to-air defense capabilities

«AMRAAM delivers unprecedented air superiority to pilots, giving them a decisive advantage in the sky», said Paul Ferraro, vice president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense’s Air Power business. «The weapon will significantly improve Bulgaria’s ability to defend against advanced threats».

The AMRAAM is a dual-role missile, offering operational flexibility in air-to-air and surface-launch engagements. In the air-to-air role, the weapon’s advanced active guidance section and mature seeker design allow it to quickly find targets in the most challenging environments.

AMRAAM is the world’s most sophisticated, combat-proven air dominance missile. With more than 30 years of design, upgrades, testing and production, the AIM-120 missile continues to meet warfighter requirements in all weather and beyond visual range engagements. Its capabilities have been fully demonstrated in over 4,800 test shots and more than 10 air-to-air combat victories.

Ground Forces, Missile Defense

Iron Dome facility

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, and RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., an Israeli-based defense technology company, have signed a joint venture to establish an Iron Dome Weapon System production facility in the United States. The new partnership, called Raytheon RAFAEL Area Protection Systems, anticipates finalizing a site location before the end of the year.

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, RAFAEL team to establish U.S.-based Iron Dome Weapon System production facility

«This will be the first Iron Dome all-up-round facility outside of Israel, and it will help the U.S. Department of Defense and allies across the globe obtain the system for defense of their service members and critical infrastructure», said Raytheon Missiles & Defense Systems’ Sam Deneke, vice president of Land Warfare & Air Defense business execution.

The new facility will produce both the Iron Dome Weapon System, which consists of the Tamir interceptor and launcher, and the SkyHunter missile, a U.S. derivative of Tamir. Both Tamir and SkyHunter intercept incoming cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems and short-range targets such as rockets, artillery, mortars and other aerial threats.

«We are excited about this new stage in our partnership with Raytheon and proud of our U.S. production», said Brigadier General (res.) Pini Yungman, executive vice president for Air and Missile Defense of RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems. «We have long partnered on U.S. production of Iron Dome and are pleased to increase manufacturing and bring SkyHunter to the U.S».

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and RAFAEL have teamed for over a decade on Iron Dome, the world’s most-used system with more than 2,500 operational intercepts and a success rate exceeding 90 percent.

Missile Defense, Navy

First SPY-6 Radar

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, delivered the first AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar array for installation on the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), the U.S. Navy’s first Flight III guided-missile destroyer. The SPY-6 family of radars performs simultaneous air, missile and surface defense on seven types of U.S. Navy ships.

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, delivered the first AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar array for installation on the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), the U.S. Navy’s first Flight III guided-missile destroyer

«SPY-6 will change how the Navy conducts surface fleet operations», said Captain Jason Hall, program manager for Above-Water Sensors for the U.S. Navy’s Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems. «Our ships will be able to see farther, react quicker and defend against threats in a way we couldn’t before».

The 14′ × 14’/4.27 m × 4.27 m modular array was transported by truck from the company’s automated 30,000-square-foot/2,787 square-meter Radar Development Facility in Andover, Massachusetts, to Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

«This is the start of what will be a steady stream of SPY-6 array deliveries to the shipyard», said Kim Ernzen, vice president of Naval Power at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. «Threats to Navy ships are getting smaller and faster. SPY-6 will extend the Navy’s reach against dangers like drones, ballistic missiles, aircraft and unmanned ships».

The SPY-6(V) family of radars delivers significantly greater range, increased accuracy, greater resistance to environmental and man-made electronic clutter, advanced electronic protection, and higher reliability than currently deployed radars.

Navy, Radars

First SPY-6 Radar

Raytheon Missiles & Defense completed comprehensive near-field range testing on the first AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar array, signaling its readiness to be wrapped, packed and shipped to the U.S. Navy’s future USS Jack H. Lucas, DDG-125. The 14’ by 14’ modular array will deliver unprecedented integrated air and missile defense and air defense capabilities to Flight III guided missile destroyers and seven types of U.S. Navy ships.

An AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar array is shown during testing in Raytheon Missiles & Defense’s Andover, MA-based Radar Development Facility. SPY-6 will deliver significantly enhanced integrated air and missile defense capability to the surface fleet by simultaneously addressing ballistic and cruise missiles, surface ships, fighter jets and other advanced threats

«The goal of near-field range testing is to increase integration speed, drive out risk and ensure SPY-6 is primed for installation», said Scott Spence, senior director of Naval Radar Systems. «When SPY-6 radar arrays leave our radar development facility, they are ready to defend the surface fleet».

Before leaving the automated, 30,000 square-foot/2,787 square-meter radar development facility, all SPY-6 arrays undergo extensive testing that includes:

  • Operational health evaluation of more than 5,000 transmit and receive radiating elements;
  • Alignment and calibration of nearly 150 subarray channels and 5,000 radar elements;
  • Collection and validation of over 42,000 «golden database» parameters that allows automatic recalibration of the array during at-sea maintenance;
  • Collection, analysis and verification of over 300 transmit and receive array beam patterns.

Raytheon Missiles & Defense has invested more than $500 million in infrastructure and capacity enhancements, including advanced automation technology, for SPY-6 since the program’s inception. Additional construction on expanded production areas dedicated to transmit/receive integrated microwave modules and radio frequency heads – key radar components – will be completed this year.

 

SPY-6(V)1

Designed for the DDG 51 Flight III destroyers, SPY-6(V)1 features:

  • 4 array faces – each with 37 RMAs (Radar Modular Assemblies) – providing continuous, 360-degree situational awareness;
  • Significantly enhanced range and sensitivity compared to the radar it replaces.

SPY-6(V)1 simultaneously defends against:

  • Ballistic missiles;
  • Cruise missiles;
  • Anti-surface and anti-air threats;
  • Jamming/clutter and electronic warfare.

 

SPY-6(V)2

Designed for amphibious assault ships and Nimitz-class carriers, SPY-6(V)2 – also known as the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (rotator variant) – features:

  • 1 rotating array face – with 9 RMAs – providing continuous, 360-degree situational awareness;
  • Air traffic control and ship self-defense capabilities.

SPY-6(V)2 simultaneously defends against:

  • Cruise missiles;
  • Anti-surface and anti-ship threats;
  • Jamming/clutter and electronic warfare.

 

SPY-6(V)3

Designed for Ford-class aircraft carriers and FFG(X) guided missile frigates, SPY-6(V)3 – also known as the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (fixed variant) – features:

  • 3 fixed-face array faces – each with 9 RMAs – providing continuous, 360-degree situational awareness;
  • Air traffic control and ship self-defense capabilities.

SPY-6(V)3 simultaneously defends against:

  • Cruise missiles;
  • Anti-surface and anti-ship threats;
  • Jamming/clutter and electronic warfare.

 

SPY-6(V)4

Designed for DDG-51 Flight IIA destroyers, SPY-6(V)4 features:

  • 4 array faces – each with 24 RMAs – providing continuous, 360-degree situational awareness;
  • Significantly enhanced range and sensitivity compared to the radar it replaces.

SPY-6(V)4 simultaneously defends against:

  • Ballistic missiles;
  • Cruise missiles;
  • Anti-surface and anti-air threats;
  • Jamming/clutter and electronic warfare.
Ground Forces

XM1155 Projectile

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a business of Raytheon Technologies, has begun the first phase of developing the XM1155 Extended-Range Artillery Projectile under a $7.9 million U.S. Army Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) through the Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. The new, cannon-launched, ramjet-powered artillery round will double the U.S. military’s range to greater than 100 kilometers/62 miles, delivering precision strikes in all terrain and weather conditions.

The XM1155 will be fired from the same artillery cannon as Excalibur, including the U.S. Army’s new 58-caliber Extended-Range Cannon Artillery

Raytheon Missiles & Defense is teamed with Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek, or TNO, an organization based in the Netherlands that will design the ramjet engine. Raytheon Missiles & Defense will integrate the engine with the system’s airframe, seeker, warhead and other components.

«The ramjet-powered artillery round will allow our nation’s military to strike farther and faster than anything our adversaries have in their arsenals», said Tom Laliberty, vice president of Land Warfare & Air Defense.

The tactical 155-mm XM1155 will be able to strike moving and stationary high-value targets on land and at sea. The maneuverable, extended-range airframe will be compatible with legacy and future 155-mm artillery systems.

The XM1155 builds on Raytheon Missiles & Defense’s experience with guided projectiles, including the Excalibur munition, an extended-range weapon that can engage targets precisely at all ranges and in adverse weather.

This effort was sponsored by the U.S. government under the DoD Ordnance Technology Consortium OTA (W15QKN-18-9-1008) with the National Armaments Consortium. The U.S. government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for government purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation herein.