GaAs gets wings with Boeing's $580m radar order
US defense contractor Raytheon has won a $580 million contract to produce GaAs-based radars for use in Super Hornet fighter aircraft used by the US Navy.
Under the five-year production contract, Raytheon will deliver 190 active electronically scanned array (AESA) APG-79 systems to Boeing.
The first such radar was delivered to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in January this year (see related story).
"The APG-79 program is on a roll this year," said Erv Grau, VP for air combat avionics at Raytheon s space and airborne systems division. "APG-79 will provide aircrews with unequalled combat capability and play a critical role in supporting the Navy's vision in how it intends to operate in the future."
The AESA system will allow the US Navy s fighter aircraft to track other aircraft at longer ranges, provide higher-resolution synthetic aperture radar maps, and allow near-simultaneous air-to-air and air-to-ground sensing.
