Raytheon developing the world's most advanced digital radar

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has awarded Raytheon Company an $8.5 million base contract to design the Flexible Distributed Array Radar (FlexDAR), enabling dynamic multi-mission radars capable of executing a variety of functions including surveillance, communications and electronic warfare.

"Raytheon is a pioneer in radar development, pushing the limits of technology to achieve the best possible solutions for our customers," said Paul Ferraro, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Advanced Technology Programs. "Migrating digital technologies closer to the front end of radars will allow for more re-configurability and ultimately more flexible radars resulting in game-changing improvements."

The FlexDAR effort is being developed under the ONR Integrated Topside (InTop) Program as an innovation effort to demonstrate new capabilities provided by the implementation of every-radar-element-level digital beam forming, combined with network coordination and precise time synchronization.

FlexDAR will develop technology that will lead to enhanced capability for future radar sensors including software-defined digital re-configurability at the foundational level.  The program demonstrates both radar and radar-to-radar communications functions so as to implement bi-static exchange and control.  This provides increased detection and firm-track range, and improved electronic protection relative to existing standalone mono-static radars.

This first phase of the InTop FlexDAR program will design the radar front-end and will demonstrate all critical components and subassemblies. In the subsequent phase, Raytheon will build two identical multi-function array antennas that will be installed at ONR's Chesapeake Bay Detachment to demonstrate several important advantages of network-linked, distributed sensors and serve as foundations to test and explore next-generation radar capabilities.


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Raytheon Recovering From Missile Delivery Delays, Air Force Says

Raytheon Co. (RTN:US) has recovered almost 30 percent of about $621 million withheld by the U.S. Air Force since 2012 because it missed deadlines for delivering missiles.

Raytheon, the world’s largest missile maker, received $179 million of the performance payments that had been held back as of March 5, Ed Gulick, a spokesman for the Air Force, said in an e-mailed statement. The funds were released under a revised delivery schedule agreed on in December 2012.Raytheon told the Air Force it expected to get back on schedule by July in delivering complete Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) after falling almost 900 behind schedule because subcontractor Alliant Techsystems Inc. had difficulty manufacturing the motor under the original milestones.

“We’ve been working very closely with Raytheon,” William LaPlante, the Air Force’s acquisition chief, said in an interview about the program. “Some things are getting better. We’ve turned the corner on that, but you are always discovering stuff and these are pretty advanced weapons.”

In addition to the missile, which is fired by pilots beyond visual range of an adversary, Waltham, Massachusetts-based Raytheon makes the Tomahawk cruise missile, the hit-to-kill warhead on the U.S. ground-based missile defense system and versions of the Patriot air defense interceptor.


http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-04-23/raytheon-recovering-from-missile-delivery-delays-air-force-says

US Navy achieves initial operating capability on Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System

The U.S. Navy has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) on the MK-60 Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System that includes the Raytheon Company Griffin missile.

The milestone comes as the Navy continues to conduct littoral security operations in areas that require an immediate and precise response to confirmed threats.

The MK-60 Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System includes a proven laser targeting system, a Navy-designed launcher and battle management system combined with Raytheon's combat-proven Griffin missile.

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Raytheon, U.S. Navy test Tomahawk Block IV's latest communications upgrades on board USS Sterett

Tomahawk missiles loitering capability was tested after the latest communications upgrades.

With a range of approximately 1,000 statute miles, the Tomahawk Block IV missile is a surface- and submarine-launched precision strike stand-off weapon. Tomahawk is designed for long-range precision strike missions against high-value and heavily defended targets. More than 2,000 Tomahawks have been employed in combat. More than 500 Tomahawk flight and production validation tests have been completed. The missile is integrated on all major U.S. surface combatants, as well as U.S. and U.K. sub-surface platforms, including the Los Angeles, Virginia, Ohio, Astute and Trafalgar class submarines.

Raytheon Company and the U.S. Navy have successfully tested communications advancements to the Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile. During a February 2014 flight test, a Raytheon-built Tomahawk Block IV missile, launched from the USS Sterett, flew a preprogrammed route while receiving updates from a simulated maritime operations center and from advanced off-board sensors updating the missile's target location. 

Throughout the flight, the missile maintained communications with all the command and control assets and provided updates on its location before hitting the target.