In a drive to modernize its defenses, a $7 million contract has been granted to Raytheon for advancing the GhostEye MR radar system's development and evaluation. This radar, known for its 360-degree surveillance and fire control capabilities, is designed to identify, track, and detect diverse threats.
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A plaque of the Department of Defense seal is seen January 26, 2012 at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
Receiving $7 Million Contract Fund
Interesting Engineering reported that funding originates from a contract established between the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Rapid Prototyping Program and the U.S. Air Force Research Lab's SDPE office.
This innovative medium-range sensor aims to reinforce the U.S. defense forces' National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), which is manufactured in collaboration with Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace.
The funding's goal is to continue radar development, culminating in operational assessment tests at White Sands Missile Range later in the year.
These contracts represent the inaugural government engagements for GhostEye MR, a versatile radar solution meticulously crafted by Raytheon through internal research and development endeavors.
The allocated funds will play a pivotal role in sustaining the ongoing radar development efforts and will subsequently facilitate a comprehensive operational evaluation at White Sands Missile Range later this year.
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Tom Laliberty, President of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, expressed in a statement that the collaboration with the Department of Defense, the Air Force, and Kongsberg aims to demonstrate the sensor's wide-ranging capabilities against an array of emerging threats.
The ongoing development of a radar system for the U.S. Army is referred to as the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS). Within this project, the GhostEye radar serves as the inaugural member of the radar family.
GhostEye as Advanced System
Operating as a medium-range multimission radar, GhostEye MR possesses the capability to detect, track, and identify various threats, encompassing cruise missiles, drones, and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
It functions both as an independent radar and can be integrated with NASAMS air defense systems, which provide protection to foreign air bases.
The design of LTAMDS incorporates three antenna arrays, including a primary array on the front and two secondary arrays on the back. These arrays operate synergistically to detect and engage multiple threats simultaneously, irrespective of their direction.
As per Defense News, GhostEye MR employs active electronically scanned array technology to offer comprehensive 360-degree coverage. Furthermore, its use of gallium nitride semiconductor material in radar circuit construction results in a more potent, sensitive, and extended-range radar signal.
The radar system's software-defined aperture also enables the addition of new features through software updates. Incorporated in 2021, GhostEye MR significantly extends range and altitude coverage to enhance the defended-area capabilities of NASAMS.
Moreover, the radar system shares commonality with the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) developed by Raytheon for the U.S. Army, showcasing its interoperability and technological synergy within defense applications.
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