EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Aug. 8, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- A radar antenna the
length of a football field that would weigh less than the 22 players in
action on it is in development by Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) under terms
of an $8 million contract associated with the Integrated Sensor is
Structure or ISIS program from the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA).
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060808/NETU011 )
The active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna would be bonded
to the hull of an unmanned airship 150 to 300 meters (164 to 328 yards) in
length that could hover for long periods above the jet stream at altitudes
of 65,000 to 70,000 feet. The antenna would transmit on UHF and X-band.
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) is a leader in AESA technology,
which uses no moving parts to scan at nearly the speed of light.
"DARPA wants to be able to look for airborne and ground-based targets
and to communicate directly with the battlefield from a single antenna,"
said Michael Wechsberg, director of radio frequency systems programs for
the Advanced Concepts and Technology group of SAS.
The low-power density radar would derive its extraordinary sensitivity
from an extremely large aperture that would occupy much of the surface of
the blimp-like airship.
"The mission is to develop an inordinately sensitive and lightweight
sensor that can be integrated into the structure of an airship, which could
remain essentially motionless over an area for a long time," Wechsberg
said. "That would let us see targets moving very slowly from a platform
that would be difficult to find, let alone to knock down."
Developing the lightweight radar antenna technology is only part of the
assignment. SAS is also charged with devising a means to bond the radar to
the hull or other structure of the airship to save weight.
"Using the hull as the support structure for the antenna eliminates
thousands of pounds that would ordinarily be needed to provide and maintain
a consistent shape for the array," Wechsberg said. "A much larger antenna,
therefore, could be carried. The program envisions the largest X-band
antenna ever built."
Although it would contain "millions of electronic components," the
thickness of the antenna as envisioned by Raytheon would be about one
centimeter (0.4 inch). Only when bonded to the hull of the airship would
the array be stiff enough to behave properly as an antenna.
The main challenge for the bonding technology is a hostile environment.
Bonding agents must be able to withstand ambient temperatures of -80
degrees Celsius (-112 degrees Fahrenheit). The agents also must be able to
accommodate differences in thermal properties between the antenna material
and that of the hull. These properties would vary broadly.
"So we need to come up with a way that in cyclical extremes of
temperature will keep everything from coming apart," Wechsberg said.
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) is the leading provider of
sensor systems giving military forces the most accurate and timely
information available for the network-centric battlefield. With 2005
revenues of $4.2 billion and 13,000 employees, SAS is headquartered in El
Segundo. Additional facilities are in Goleta, Calif.; Forest, Miss.;
Dallas, McKinney and Plano, Texas; and several international locations.
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2005 sales of $22 billion, is an
industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information
technology, technical services and special-mission aircraft. Headquartered
in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.
Contact:
Art Bentley
310.647.3266
SOURCE Raytheon Company
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Related links:
http://www.raytheon.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060808/NETU011
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Art Bentley of Raytheon Company,
+1-310-647-3266
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