In the past half year, Raytheon has made three overseas sales of its PATRIOT missile defence system ($2 billion to an undisclosed foreign government, $815 million to upgrade existing South Korean systems, and $2.4 billion to Qatar). Recently, the government of Poland chose PATRIOT over a host of American and European rivals. A statement issued by the Polish government said Poland plans to acquire eight PATRIOT batteries by 2025, including two to be deployed in the first three years of the deal. The Polish government will also require Raytheon to share its technical know-how with Polish companies, which will assist in building and maintaining the PATRIOT system.
In a move designed to collaborate and share advanced defence technologies, Raytheon Missile Systems signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with MESKO, Poland's leading missile and ammunition manufacturer. Areas of cooperation focus on Raytheon's solutions for the KRAB howitzer precision fires and new Polish Attack Helicopter, including offset proposals and opportunities for MESKO.
The agreement focuses on the production and future capabilities codevelopment of Raytheon's EXCALIBUR 155mm precision projectile and the TALON laser guided rocket, which was co-developed with the UAE industry. Additionally, Raytheon and MESKO will explore the potential for collaboration on a next generation anti-armour weapon and a very short range air defence weapon.
Previously, Raytheon signed an LOI with MESKO to cooperate on opportunities related to Poland's air defense architecture, as well as significant exports to global markets. That agreement calls for the companies to examine areas for partnership in categories such as: PATRIOT GEM-T missile sub-system production and qualification, PATRIOT GEM-T missile integration, assembly and production, and System Level Integration and Engineering.
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Over the past 15 years, Raytheon has invested more than $150 million of its own money into something called Gallium Nitride (GaN). The new PATRIOT radar uses the material in a new semiconductor that promises vast gains in power and efficiency.Today's radars typically use Gallium Arsenide semiconductors, but the GaN semiconductors can operate at higher voltages, greater radio frequency power density, and smaller sizes than their predecessors. GaN can run hotter and cheaper than GaAs semiconductors—in essence, they can handle higher amounts of energy.
Why is this beneficial? It all comes down to the way modern radar works. Instead of swiveling a radar to scan the sky, new arrays use transmit/receive antenna modules that are mounted by the thousands on flat faces to steer beams electronically. Hence the name Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
Having a souped-up, more sensitive AESA radar is an obvious advantage, but there's something else: The small, powerful GaN panels can be mounted on the reverse sides of a flat-faced AESA radar chassis, enabling the system to sense incoming attacks from 360 degrees.
People who know semiconductor technology know that GaN has been heralded as the next best thing for a long time. Adoption into the real world has been slow, mostly due to the laborious and expensive manufacturing methods. (You have to grow layers of GaN onto substates.) Raytheon is leading the charge, betting big time that this material will be marketable around the world inside radar designed to thwart air attacks. To date, Raytheon claims to be the only manufacturer that has a Pentagon-approved, weapons-grade foundry that has achieved low-rate production, called"Manufacturing Readiness Level 8.
In a move designed to collaborate and share advanced defence technologies, Raytheon Missile Systems signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with MESKO, Poland's leading missile and ammunition manufacturer. Areas of cooperation focus on Raytheon's solutions for the KRAB howitzer precision fires and new Polish Attack Helicopter, including offset proposals and opportunities for MESKO.
The agreement focuses on the production and future capabilities codevelopment of Raytheon's EXCALIBUR 155mm precision projectile and the TALON laser guided rocket, which was co-developed with the UAE industry. Additionally, Raytheon and MESKO will explore the potential for collaboration on a next generation anti-armour weapon and a very short range air defence weapon.
Previously, Raytheon signed an LOI with MESKO to cooperate on opportunities related to Poland's air defense architecture, as well as significant exports to global markets. That agreement calls for the companies to examine areas for partnership in categories such as: PATRIOT GEM-T missile sub-system production and qualification, PATRIOT GEM-T missile integration, assembly and production, and System Level Integration and Engineering.
Over the past 15 years, Raytheon has invested more than $150 million of its own money into something called Gallium Nitride (GaN). The new PATRIOT radar uses the material in a new semiconductor that promises vast gains in power and efficiency.Today's radars typically use Gallium Arsenide semiconductors, but the GaN semiconductors can operate at higher voltages, greater radio frequency power density, and smaller sizes than their predecessors. GaN can run hotter and cheaper than GaAs semiconductors—in essence, they can handle higher amounts of energy.
Why is this beneficial? It all comes down to the way modern radar works. Instead of swiveling a radar to scan the sky, new arrays use transmit/receive antenna modules that are mounted by the thousands on flat faces to steer beams electronically. Hence the name Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
Having a souped-up, more sensitive AESA radar is an obvious advantage, but there's something else: The small, powerful GaN panels can be mounted on the reverse sides of a flat-faced AESA radar chassis, enabling the system to sense incoming attacks from 360 degrees.
People who know semiconductor technology know that GaN has been heralded as the next best thing for a long time. Adoption into the real world has been slow, mostly due to the laborious and expensive manufacturing methods. (You have to grow layers of GaN onto substates.) Raytheon is leading the charge, betting big time that this material will be marketable around the world inside radar designed to thwart air attacks. To date, Raytheon claims to be the only manufacturer that has a Pentagon-approved, weapons-grade foundry that has achieved low-rate production, called"Manufacturing Readiness Level 8.